But stupid is all part of that too.

so that he can't just attack them, change the subject, abuse them, and answer NOTHING. They should follow up on each other's unanswered questions until he is FORCED to answer them. Sure, he can cancel the press conference or try to ban some of them, but pretty soon, he'd not have any non-Fox/non-MAGA social media there to spew to. AND, THAT would send a message I don't think he'd like.

It used to be a thing. One reporter would ask a question and get a deflective answer. The next reporter called on would follow up on the same topic. That would go on until a substantive answer emerged. Now they avoid that kind of thing as though the oligarchs who own their newspaper, network, or website told them to. Huh 🤔

It disrupts follow ups. Just pivot to Newsmax, or OANN, or the Free Beacon, etc.

I hadn’t thought of that one. It’s working well for them

I seem to remember people like Sam Donaldson and Dan Rather, and people like that, asking rather tough questions.

Gone…..right?? ya know can’t let orange taco not have control right. 🤬 🤬 🤬

I still miss her.

O'Donnell was a writer/producer on The West Wing.

He knows how to envision and write an intelligent news conference and an intelligent President.

None of which we have in the current reality.

OT, although he did not write it (Sorkin did), he starred in one of the best TV dramatic episodes ever, The Two Cathedrals on The West Wing.

He played Bartlett's father when the future President was a young boy.

“No President who performs his duty faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure.” - James K. Polk

is necessarily stupid, though there are a probably a few. I think they've been bullied into submission, afraid to challenge a president who will not tolerate any kind of dissent. They behave like abused spouses.

Trump bullies everyone and I am often amazed at how effective he is. His tactics are hardly original or clever, more like a 4th grader at the playground.

A host on MSNBC took aim,
Called Trump's second term quite a shame.
"Too dumb for TV—
Beyond parody!
Even The West Wing can't match this game."

Said O’Donnell, “This term’s just absurd,
The dumbest the world’s ever heard.
With press just as dense,
It all makes more sense—
It’s a clown show, not fit for a word.”

unless there is an event unfolding like a military action or, say, a pandemic in which we would expect an actual briefing from experts in a Democratic administration. Otherwise, they're like parliamentary Question Periods in certain governments whose purpose is to hold the government in power accountable. So when you have a lying administration that's accountable to no one, the only news that comes out is how ineffective press briefings are.

Just my HO.