The national press is renewing its call for even more scrutiny of the incoming Trump administration, and is cheering on reporters who challenge President-elect Trump and his team.
On Monday, New York Times media columnist Jim Rutenberg praised CNN’s Jake Tapper for a recent interview in which he pressed Vice President-elect Mike Pence on whether he knew that Gen. Mike Flynn, an adviser to Trump, had sought a security clearance for his adult son. Flynn’s son had used social media to spread a false conspiracy theory involving Hillary Clinton.
Tapper had to ask several times before Pence finally allowed that the transition team had filed the “appropriate paperwork” for the security clearance before Trump formally dismissed Flynn’s son last week, and Rutenberg said he wants to see more interviews like that.
“If only such moments could stop being so special and start being normal,” Rutenberg said of Tapper’s interview. He added that “it can mean losing bookings and therefore ratings, given that politicians who face real grilling may be inclined to avoid the kitchens that cooked them — a risk worth taking.”
The exchange also earned a positive write-up by the Associated Press’ television reporter, David Bauder.
“Jake Tapper’s verbal tug-of-war with Vice President-elect Mike Pence last week illustrated a persistent style the CNN anchor is making his signature, and one that he hopes his colleagues take up, too,” wrote Bauder.
Tapper’s colleague Brian Stelter, who reports on media for CNN, has also called on journalists covering Trump to take a more definitive stance against his assertions that cannot be backed up with evidence, such as a Twitter message he posted last month that said “millions” of people had voted in the election “illegally.”
“See, focusing on the falsehood creates more confusion and gives the lie even more life and that’s the wrong way to go,” Stelter said of media reports on the tweet. “Focusing on Trump’s tendency to buy into B.S. gets to really what’s going on here. This calls for more reporting and for reporters to show our work, to show that we actually know the truth. … The press has to have the power to respond.”
Since winning the election, Trump has continued his habit of using Twitter to weigh in on issues of the day, often times to rebut negative news coverage and to push back against criticism.
Pence has served as Trump’s chief defender in interviews, where he has been asked to answer for the ensuing controversies.
On the Dec. 4 edition of ABC’s “This Week,” moderator George Stephanopoulos, referring to Trump’s claim about the illegal voters, asked Pence if it’s “irresponsible” of Trump to “make false statements like that.”
Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” popular among liberals and political journalists, cited the moment as an example of accountability.
“If ever there is a time that journalists are going to be tested in America, it’s gonna be during the Trump presidency,” said Noah. “Like, I feel like we need to start handing out awards to journalists for calling out bullshit.”
