Associated Press
The White House abandoned social distancing for reporters attending President Donald Trump’s Rose Garden event Friday because “it looks better,” according to the aide who ordered it.
Seats for reporters at recent White House events had been placed 6 feet apart to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. But shortly before Friday’s event, Trump aides moved the seats closer together so reporters were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
The decision “needlessly put reporters’ health at risk,” said Jonathan Karl of ABC News, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association.
“The health of the press corps should not be put in jeopardy because the White House wants reporters to be a prop for a ‘news conference’ where the president refused to answer any questions,” Karl said.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said it was his decision to move the seats closer together.
“It looks better,” Deere said. “I would remind you that those in the (press) pool are tested, everyone is temperature-checked and asked if they have had symptoms.”
Trump noticed when he was at the podium, and seemed happy about the new seating arrangement.
“I noticed you’re starting to get much closer together,” the president said. “Looks much better, I must say.”
Watching the event on television made her angry, CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen said later.
“This is outrageous,” she said. “Those chairs should have been far apart. There was no reason to put them together, except so that President Trump could telegraph a false message.”
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Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
2 comments
Palmer Tom
June 5, 2020 at 8:20 pm
Sigh…
LINDIESUE
June 6, 2020 at 3:39 pm
What? Do they not know how to sit 2-3 seats apart? Do they not know how to lift the chairs and move them farther apart? If there were a large number of reporters – too many to social distance – why did some of them not leave or stand in back? I’m tired of this immature sickness on the left. So help me God I, at age 65, with mask and gloves will absolutely, AND ONLY, vote in person to re-elect Trump. I’ve been sheltering in place since the end of Feb because of an underlying condition, but so help me God no matter the risk, I will vote in person come November. The skewing and twisting of the truth by the MSM because they are psychotic, has placed a heavy burden on our country. I’ve had enough. The crazy, illegal actions by the left is abominable and must be held to account at the polls.
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