Posted on 04/12/2025 12:00:18 PM PDT by John Semmens
In less than 100 days into his second term as president Donald Trump had directly answered ninety unfiltered questions from the media during his three broadcast cabinet meetings. In his four years as president Joe Biden answered only five questions from the media following the nine cabinet meetings he held during his four-year term of office.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cited these statistics as proof that "President Trump is being more transparent than his predecessor by leaps and bounds. He's letting voters see his cabinet meetings in real time. He and his cabinet members are taking questions and answering them in front of TV cameras." She went on to compare "President Trump's openness with former President Biden's typically brief prepared statements where he either took no questions or only responded to previously screened questions."
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) called Leavitt's comparison "unfair. Trump's unscreened free-for-alls cannot be compared to the carefully vetted events held by former President Biden. Trump's spontaneity bypassed the carefully planned Biden events where the administration and trusted media allies agreed on what questions would be asked and answered ahead of time. This ensured that only the most relevant and important issues would consume the valuable time allotted. It also ensured that President Biden would have adequate time to prepare his answers. Remember, quality is more important than quantity."
Apprised of Schumer's remarks, Leavitt said "President Trump is confident that he can leave the judgment about the comparative quality of his open approach vs the staged approach of his predecessor to the viewing public. He doesn't believe that voters can rely on the media to edit these events without distorting the truth. Let's not forget how the media aided in the concealment of President Biden's dementia for the first three-and-a-half years of his time in office. I can't see how Senator Schumer could overlook such a glaring disservice to the Americans who need to know what kind of person is supposedly running their government."
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