While President Trump has complimented the media at times during the coronavirus pandemic, he went so far as to thank some reporters at Friday’s daily coronavirus press briefing.
Speaking at the White House the day after the administration released guidelines for states to reopen, Trump acknowledged the magnitude of the crisis and pointed out how bad it could have been without proper mitigation strategies to combat the “smart” and “vicious” virus.
“Every day we are getting closer to the future that we all have been waiting for,” the president said. “I talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting very, very close to seeing that light shine very brightly at the end of that tunnel.”
“And it’s happening, and I want to thank everybody in the room. I want to thank — I actually want to thank some of the media,” Trump continued directing attention to the press in the room. “We’ve had some fair coverage … And I appreciate it.”
Trump is known for his contentious relationship with the media, often referring to reporters and outlets as “fake news.” He has gotten into verbal spats with some reporters throughout the pandemic but has also taken time to acknowledge fair coverage.
There have been almost 700,000 cases of the coronavirus in the United States, with more than 36,700 deaths, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.
