Trump hits back at WSJ over editorial criticizing focus of virus briefings
President Trump on Thursday blasted The Wall Street Journal for an editorial criticizing the daily White House press briefings, complaining that the news outlet failed to give proper attention to the number of viewers they attract. "The Wall Street Journal always 'forgets' to mention that the ratings for the White House Press Briefings are 'through the roof,'" Trump tweeted, referencing a New York Times piece that recently compared the number of viewers to "Monday Night Football" or "The Bachelor."
In an opinion piece published Wednesday night titled "Trump’s Wasted Briefings," the Journal's editorial board bemoaned that the daily press conferences ostensibly intended to focus on the latest news surrounding the coronavirus had become "more about the many feuds of Donald J. Trump." The editorial board wrote that Trump's frequent attacks on the press, governors and his critics during the briefing were "off-key" given the severity of the pandemic that has killed thousands of people in the U.S.
The board urged Trump to cede center stage at the briefings to Vice President Pence and top health officials, who have regularly appeared at the briefings but have primarily waited to provide updates until the president delivers his own remarks.
The president has typically opened the briefings with a prepared statement before taking questions from reporters. That format has led to sparring with journalists, criticism of likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden and a question on Wednesday about the Netflix series "Tiger King."
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/492084-trump-slams-wsj-for-failing-to-mention-ratings-in-critical-editorial
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