Trump extends olive branch to media, says it’s ‘vital’ to have a ‘free, fair and open’ press

“In order to Make America Great Again,” President-elect Donald Trump addressed one “vital” element involving the media.

Given some of the rabid attacks of the GOP leader over the years, and especially leading up the Election Day, few if any would have wagered on an “extremely cordial” sit down between him and any of the talking heads. Yet, that was precisely how Trump described a Friday meeting with MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

Discussing that meeting and its implications with Fox News Digital, the president-elect made clear, “In order to Make America Great Again, it is very important, if not vital, to have a free, fair and open media or press.”

“Many things were discussed, and I very much appreciated the fact that they wanted to have open communications. In many ways, it’s too bad that it wasn’t done long ago,” said Trump of the Mar-a-Lago get-together after he’d “received a call from Joe Scarborough requesting a meeting for him and Mika, and I agreed that it would be a good thing if such meeting took place.”

Speaking to what was discussed, the president-elect said, they “congratulated me on running a ‘great and flawless campaign, one for the history books,’ which I really believe it was, but it was also a campaign where I worked long and hard — perhaps longer and harder than any presidential candidate in history.”

“We talked about various Cabinet members — both announced and to be announced,” he went on. “As expected, they like some very much, but not all, the meeting ended in a very positive manner, and we agreed to speak in the future.”

“I expect this will take place with others in the media, even those that have been extremely hostile,” contended Trump.

As was reported, Scarborough and Brzezinksi addressed the meeting on Monday’s installment of “Morning Joe” with a similar account as she added, “Joe and I realized it’s time to do something different and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump but also talking with him.”

Meanwhile, the once and future commander-in-chief expressed a willingness to “do whatever is necessary to bring our country to the highest level that it’s ever seen.”

As he saw it, there was “an obligation to the American public, and to our country itself, to be open and available to the press.”

“If not treated fairly, however, that will end,” warned Trump. “The media is very important to the long-term success of the United States of America.”

“We’re off to a good start, and I will be open and free as to further developments as they take place, that includes media relationships,” he remarked while admitting he “obviously” held “the upper hand at this moment.”

Worth noting, following a peak during their Election Night coverage, ratings have fallen off a cliff for MSNBC and CNN with many suspecting that it wasn’t the results that viewers were interested in so much as it was the meltdowns as the Republican Party went on to take the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.

Taking a magnanimous approach despite the demonization he’d experienced since entering the political arena, Trump asserted, “And while many others are calling for meetings, I am not looking for retribution, grandstanding or to destroy people who treated me very unfairly, or even badly beyond comprehension. I am always looking to give a second and even third chance, but never willing to give a fourth chance — that is where I hold the line.”

The president-elect also made sure to remind Americans that amid the shrieks from the “Fake News,” there were those who remained “truthful, honest and professional.”

“They were the ones that kept me in the game, and they were the ones that gave me a victory — the likes of which our country has rarely seen before,” he told Fox News Digital. “These people and organizations, and they know who they are, should be, and are, very proud of themselves, and they have a right to be proud. And I have a right to say to them — congratulations.”

With an eye toward the future, Trump went on, “I will soon begin the process of transforming America into the greatest and most powerful country in the world. But at the same time, it must be a fair and just country — a country that others throughout the world will look up to and emulate.”

“Hopefully, our success will make the world, itself, a far better and safer place,” added the president-elect who was lauded for choosing the high road.

Kevin Haggerty

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles