The crew at Morning Joe got something right. Donald Trump cannot just ditch his protective press pool like he did last night in order to take his family to The 21 Club in New York City.
And here's why this matters: if cable media steps up and resists Trump's fascism, it's going to happen because that fascism costs them something, in profits or access or prestige in Washington. I don't believe for an instant that the between making a profit for their shareholders and covering the Trump White House honestly, that any cable news outlet is going to choose to do their job over a penny in stock price for Comcast. But if it costs Comcast employees a sense that their job is important, we will get push back. And that matters.
What the Morning Joe panel dances around in terms of John F. Kennedy is important, too.
Here's what they said:
MARK HALPERIN: We are going to have -- as an institution on behalf of the American people, not because we're special interest -- fights with this new administration about coverage. There's a reason why there's a protective pool. There's a reason there's not blacklisting. The First Amendment is important. While we fight with Trump people about this, we need to make the public understand we're doing this in the public interest. It's vitally important for the democracy. He should just play by the rules. He's not going to have a camera on him. It's required. Not for fun. It's required for democracy and openness and accountability.
MIKA BREZINSKI: I get that. I'll challenge it slightly. That trip to the 21 club, did you really think nobody was going to see that in the world of I-phones and Facebook Live and I'm just saying --
HALPERIN: It's not about seeing him inside. It's about what might happen to him as he travels from point a to point b. It's uncomfortable to talk about. This is an important fight but much more important fights coming about press freedom on behalf of the public interest and not on behalf of the media. On behalf of public interest. They need to understand why the rules exist.
And of course, right on time, while they are discussing this, Donald Trump tweets angrily at The New York Times because he can't help himself.
HALPERIN: He tweeted again attacking "The New York Times" while we've been talking. A series of three tweets. They had a story today suggesting transition was a disaster. There's a series of three. The third one mocks coverage and says the reason they are writing bad stories about him is they are upset that "they look like fools in their coverage of me."
JOE SCARBOROUGH: So he's got his phone back.
This administration at best is going to be a total embarrassment for four years.
