As soon as President Trump began fielding press questions, liberal reporters started developing a new pastime: balking at their conservative counterparts for lobbing “softball questions.” But a quick review of the record reveals that journalism’s strike zone has narrowed suddenly and significantly. The mainstream media certainly wasn’t pitching heat during President Barack Obama’s first couple press conferences.
While some straight-laced newspapermen threw fastballs, plenty of reporters from well-respected outlets were more than happy to let the Democratic president tee-off. Anyone who doubts that should rewind the highlights from Obama’s early months in office.
When Obama called on Jeff Zeleney back in May 2009, the New York Times reporter didn’t get the president on the record about the state of national security or the worsening fiscal crisis. Instead, the writer wondered if the leader of the free world felt magical.
“During these first 100 days,” he asked, “what has surprised you the most about this office? Enchanted you the most from serving in this office? Humbled you the most? And troubled you the most?”
More than happy to oblige, Obama hammered the four-point question. But the press didn’t balk. They were enthralled. And for the next eight years, that episode would repeat itself again and again.
Even after Democrats got hammered in the 2010 midterms, the rigor of questions didn’t improve. Instead, respected journalists from respectable outlets kept up their game of soft toss. Normally, the press is supposed to be a bit adversarial with their sources. But Carry Bohan of Reuters was downright congratulatory about a bipartisan tax deal forged with Republicans.
“You racked up a lot of wins in the last few weeks that a lot of people thought would be difficult to come by,” Bohan asked Obama. “Are you ready to call yourself the ‘comeback kid?'”
Sometimes, the press openly batted for Democrats. During the 2011 Republican primary, CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian asked Obama if he thought the GOP candidates were “uninformed, out of touch, or irresponsible.”
Only when Obama headed for the exit did it seem like journalists really started to dig deep. Before Trump set up shop in the Oval Office, the press corps went on the offensive. During Obama’s final presser, six of the eight questions were about Obama’s successor.
It’s not that journalists can’t turn on the heat. During President George W. Bush didn’t have an easy last press conference. Journalists leaned into the outgoing executive, pushing him to detail his many mistakes in office.
With a record like that, it’s difficult to take the mainstream media’s criticism of the Daily Caller seriously. During a joint press conference with Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Kaitlan Collins sparked the controversy when she asked the president to identify the most important national security challenges facing the country. Was it the best question? No. Was it on par with the softballs of liberal reporters? Not at all.
Of course, journalists need to speak truth to power. But rather than purposely beaning their colleagues, perhaps reporters from more liberal publications should worry about improving their own game.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
