The underlying basis for the Whitehouse briefing is that the Whitehouse belongs to the US, it is our government, and for a democracy to work we need an informed electorate.
No doubt if the Whitehouse belonged to Donald Trump he could cancel press briefings if he wished, but this is not a privately held company. Every citizen has a stake in this union and we cannot possibly be responsible citizens without getting information.
Now if the Whitehouse cancelled their press briefings it would not stop us from having News (free press is a constitutional right and mandate). But it would stop the Whitehouse from being able to share their story, correct misconceptions, and be a part of this story. Being the first to shape the story is power, canceling that feature is like cutting off a person's arm. Generally speaking not something that is desirable unless you have gangrene.
Therefore I find it very interesting that Trump would suggest this. Does he realize that the Whitehouse press briefing is an instrument of power? Or does he realize that his administration is in critical condition with a spreading gangrene?
Every dictator uses the media to trumpet their version of reality. They do it for mind control and to counteract other versions of reality. In the US we don't have a dictator, we have a "free press" and the President's power is transmitted through that press. We feel this is more powerful because it is more credible. But if he canceled them he would truly be impotent.
Which also raises the question as to why he has not given a press briefing in almost 10 months. Have we ever seen anything like this with any other president? I thought the previous record was around 3 months?
As long as we are in this bizarro realm, how many campaign rallies has he given since being sworn in? Have we ever seen that before?
