A New York Times reporter was slammed for suggesting President Trump was punishing the press by setting a 7:30 a.m. call time for journalists on Christmas Eve.
“A way to stick it to the WH press corps he hates is a 7:30 AM call time on Christmas Eve for a currently empty public schedule,” Maggie Haberman, the New York Times’s White House correspondent tweeted on Wednesday, after the president’s schedule was released.
A way to stick it to the WH press corps he hates is a 7:30 AM call time on Christmas Eve for a currently empty public schedule https://t.co/yqdfyBYMeL
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 24, 2020
Haberman’s comments were met with derision from those accusing her of being out of touch and childish as millions of people face unemployment due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence under Trump, told Haberman to “learn to code,” a jab conservatives often direct at journalists.
“Write the story early. We already know what you are going to say anyway. And please stop whining about showing up for work – or learn to code.”
Write the story early. We already know what you are going to say anyway.
And please stop whining about showing up for work – or learn to code. https://t.co/Rn2DkQPKJe
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) December 24, 2020
“Millions of Americans are unemployed and have been for months now. Thousands of Americans are sick. Millions of small business owners have been forced to stay home from work for months. @maggieNYT thinks that showing up to work at 7:30 AM is a horrible punishment,” Reagan Battalion, a popular conservative account, posted.
Millions of Americans are unemployed and have been for months now.
Thousands of Americans are sick.
Millions of small business owners have been forced to stay home from work for months. @maggieNYT thinks that showing up to work at 7:30 AM is a horrible punishment. https://t.co/QDM3tQoajU
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) December 24, 2020
Benjamin Weingarten, a writer at the Federalist called Haberman’s comments “childish.”
“Some characteristics of the Ruling Class comms arm known as the media demonstrated here: 1) It loves to make itself the center of the story 2) It lacks total self-awareness 3) It is childish.”
Some characteristics of the Ruling Class comms arm known as the media demonstrated here:
1) It loves to make itself the center of the story
2) It lacks total self-awareness
3) It is childish https://t.co/iDZy68NCXs— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) December 24, 2020
“Reporters complaining about working near the beach in 70° sunshine while millions of Americans can’t work is about as out of touch as it gets,” Jon Street, the managing editor of Campus Reform, wrote.
Reporters complaining about working near the beach in 70° sunshine while millions of Americans can’t work is about as out of touch as it gets https://t.co/VYsWLXIsOA
— Jon Street (@JonStreet) December 24, 2020
“People who’ve never missed a paycheck, who spent the year lecturing people to stay home and shut up as they went broke, whining about someone having to show up to their overpaid job early is my favorite Twitter. #Caring,” radio host Derek Hunter tweeted.
People who’ve never missed a paycheck, who spent the year lecturing people to stay home and shut up as they went broke, whining about someone having to show up to their overpaid job early is my favorite Twitter. #Caring https://t.co/lPj7Mm3MYX
— Reverend Doctor Jill Biden Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) December 24, 2020
The first family decamped to the president’s Mar-a-Lago club for the Christmas holidays, where it is expected to stay until January. While the White House didn’t list any official events listed on Trump’s public calendar, the president’s schedule noted his “schedule includes many meetings and calls.”
Michael Cohen, the president’s former lawyer, said Trump may not return from Florida after Christmas.
“I would not be shocked if there is no concession speech at all,” Cohen said. “My theory is that at Christmastime, he goes to Mar-a-Lago. I think he will stay there through the inauguration. I would not be shocked if he will not show up to the inauguration either.”
