13 former press secretaries wrote an op-ed asking that the White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham to hold press briefings. She has never held even one.
They write:
“The process of preparing for regular briefings makes the government run better. The sharing of information, known as official guidance, among government officials and agencies helps ensure that an administration speaks with one voice, telling one story, however compelling it might be.
Regular briefings also force a certain discipline on government decision making. Knowing there are briefings scheduled is a powerful incentive for administration officials to complete a policy process on time. Put another way, no presidents want their briefers to say, day after day, we haven’t figured that one out yet. …
Using the powerful podiums of the State Department, Pentagon and White House is a powerful tool for keeping our allies informed and letting our enemies know we are united in our determination to defeat them both on the battlefield and in the world of public diplomacy.”
That would be really powerful if there was even the slightest hope that the administration cared about any of that.
The fact is that they have simply moved the “briefing” to state TV where the Press Secretary sings Trump’s praises and responds to friendly softball questions. Here’s she is today. If you don’t watch Fox you may never have seen what she looks like:
She should watch some North Korean TV. She could use some tips on how to present Dear Leader’s perfection in glowing shining light at all times. This just isn’t good enough.