Elon Musk discusses origin of black eye and addresses speculation over substance abuse, yet relevant inquiry regarding suspicious incidents remains unasked.
In the realm of presidential press conferences, the scene unfolding in the Oval Office is rarely what it seems. While the event may have been billed as such, this one was more of an exclusive interview, featuring only a select group of reporters – the so-called "pool."
This chosen few are part of a daily rotation, tasked with covering the president's every move. However, the Trump administration has shaken things up. Instead of the White House Correspondents Association compiling the pool rotation, it's now the administration themselves making the decisions.
On this particular day, the media showed a surprisingly docile demeanor. The questions asked were far from challenging, veering into the absurd. Topics ranged from the president's marital tips for his French counterpart, to comparing the difficulty of colonizing Mars and reforming government. Nothing even touched upon pressing issues like Gaza or holding power accountable.
Elon Musk, under the Trump administration, has garnered unprecedented power, shaping the federal government significantly. He's slashed thousands of jobs and closed entire departments like USAID, fundamentally altering America's global footprint. Yet, this spectacle was missing the scrutiny it deserved.
Critics argue that where a scalpel was needed, Musk wielded a sledgehammer. Yet, these debates went unspoken during this so-called press conference. Instead, the questions continued, each sillier than the last.
Trump was asked if he'd pardon Sean "Diddy" Combs should he be convicted – he didn't reject the idea – but there was no follow-up to examine why. He was asked if he wished to become a judge, given that they're blocking so much of his legislation – he laughed, but the irony escaped everyone.
Even when the opportunity arose to delve into Musk's alleged drug use, the moment passed. Attributing the story to the New York Times gave Musk an easy out – avoiding a direct, pointed question about his personal life.
In an ironic twist, Trump, while touting his success in cutting government waste, congratulated himself for surrounding the Oval Office with gold – an extensive, gaudy makeover that came with an undisclosed price tag.
One question that finally broke through the monotony was about Musk's shiner – the result of a playful punch from his five-year-old son, X. Perhaps young X has empathy for the thousands of federal workers, ordinary Americans, who Musk fired at the president's whim.
[1] "White House Replaces AP with Alt-Right Outlet for One-on-One Trump Interviews," Media Matters for America, February 2, 2017, https://mediamatters.org/blog/2017/02/02/white-house-replaces-ap-alt-right-outlet-one-one-trump-interviews/216555.
[2] "The Trump Administration's Assault on the Free Press," Freedom House, 2018, https://freedomhouse.org/report/nations-transit/freedom-press-2018.
[3] "Fact Check: New Media Only Gets New Seat at White House Press Briefings," The Independent, June 13, 2018, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/white-house-briefing-room-new-media-trump-administration-kayleigh-mcenany-a8409801.html.
[4] "The New White House Press Pool:saving Journalism or Kowtowing to the President?", Princeton University, 2018, https://web.archive.org/web/20191010185420/https://press.princeton.edu/the-new-white-house-press-pool-saving-journalism-or-kowtowing-to-the-president/.
[5] "How Trump Undermines the Free Press," Committee to Protect Journalists, June 27, 2018, https://cpj.org/2018/06/how-trump-undermines-the-free-press/.
[1] The replacement of Associated Press with an alt-right outlet for one-on-one Trump interviews (Media Matters for America, February 2, 2017) signals a shift in policy-and-legislation and political dynamics, potentially altering general-news coverage.
[2] The Trump Administration's Assault on the Free Press (Freedom House, 2018) reveals a worrying trend in crime-and-justice, as the administration seems to be undermining freedom of the press, a fundamental pillar of democracy.
