Sean Spicer – White House: “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration – period – both in person and around the globe. These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the Inauguration are shameful and wrong.”

Margaret Sullivan – Washington Post:   “The presidency is not a reality show, but President Trump on his first full day in office made clear that he’s still obsessed with being what he once proudly called “a ratings machine.”  Read Article 

Dan Gilmore – Slate: “All presidents lie, of course. All press secretaries obfuscate or worse. But this administration, like the campaign, is in a league of its own. And journalists now realize that the new president and his senior staff view the press in the way all authoritarians see real journalism: not a vital part of a functioning system of government. Read Article

Brian Fallon – CNN: “I’m concerned, if yesterday’s briefing is any indication, that this is somebody who will put his standing with his boss ahead of his integrity and standing with the press corps. Those are things that are dangerous territory.”  Read Article

• The White House intention is never to lie to the press corps.
• The White should be afforded the opportunity to put out a story and then publish a correction.
• The White House acts in haste because the information available isn’t complete in order to make sure that Americans have the most complete story at the time,
• The White House can disagree with the facts.
• The White House Communications Director is going to tell the press corps the facts as he knows them.
• Millions of people thought the bust story was racially insensitive.