Latest news with #NationalJournal
New York Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Kamala Harris aides held ‘mock soiree' to practice socializing: book
Aides to then-Vice President Kamala Harris were so paranoid about her navigating social events that they held a 'mock soiree' ahead of an intimate DC dinner party in the spring of 2022, according to a new book detailing the dysfunction of the Biden administration. In 'Original Sin,' co-authors Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper note that Harris advisers made it a literal dry run — deciding not to serve wine to see if the veep could 'practice with a glass or two.' There are no reports of awkward moments at the 'salon-style dinner' Harris attended at the home of media mogul David Bradley, whose portfolio includes ownership of National Journal and a partnership in the Atlantic magazine. Advertisement However, Thompson and Tapper do detail frustrations with the VP among Biden loyalists, describing the Californian as a 'regular headache' for the White House. 'She often shied away from politically tough assignments when Biden had accepted such assignments as vice president,' the authors write. 'She even turned down seemingly simple asks, such as headlining DC's Gridiron Club dinner.' 3 Kamala Harris' team was paranoid about her performance during hobnobbing events. Bruce Glikas/WireImage Advertisement 3 Many elements of former President Joe Biden's team were wary of Kamala Harris. Getty Images Six months prior to the 'mock soiree,' Harris and her team drew mockery for releasing a strange video about space exploration that featured child actors who auditioned for their roles. Harris had been picked in May 2021 to head up the National Space Council, a Cabinet-level position that Thompson and Tapper describe as 'politically safe ground' that she still found 'difficult' to navigate — though she reportedly wasn't helped by aides who 'internally mixed up astrology and astronomy.' 'Many on the Biden team felt that Harris didn't put in the work and was also just not a very nice person,' the book reads. 'Several quietly expressed buyer's remorse: They should have picked [Michigan Gov. Gretchen] Whitmer' as Biden's running mate in 2020. Advertisement 3 Kamala Harris is now mulling over her options for her political future. Cameron Smith Biden had vowed to select a woman as his No. 2, and Harris and Whitmer were the two finalists, according to the book. Biden confidants, such as future White House chief of staff Ron Klain, had strongly backed Harris behind the scenes. Jill Biden, however, had been vexed by Harris for raking her husband over the coals during a Democratic primary debate in June 2019 over the issue of busing. Advertisement After Harris joined the ticket, friction ensued between staffers in both camps — continuing once they were in office. 'Harris aides began dividing Biden advisers between the helpful and what one called 'the cabal of the unhelpful,'' according to Thompson and Tapper. 'Anthony Bernal, the First Lady's office, and [White House Deputy Chief of Staff] Jen O'Malley Dillon, along with many in the political and communications shops, were often in the latter group.' Ironically, O'Malley Dillon would go on to chair Harris' campaign after Biden dropped out of the 2024 race in late July. 'Original Sin' is slated to hit bookshelves on May 20.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
President Trump reportedly took 1,009 questions in his first month, 7 times more than Biden
President Donald Trump reportedly answered more than 1,000 questions in the first month of his second term, surpassing both previous presidents and the first 30 days of his first term. During the 2024 campaign, both former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were frequently criticized for their lack of unscripted media appearances. Trump, by contrast, has made it a cornerstone of his public image and his political career that he is willing to offer off-the-cuff remarks at a moment's notice, something which has shown no signs of slowing down in his second term. National Journal White House correspondent George E. Condon Jr. reported that his news outlet tracked 1,009 questions the president had answered in the past month, from less than an hour of taking office up until last Wednesday night. "It took Trump only three days to eclipse the 141 questions former President Biden took in his first month; Trump took 164 questions by the end of his third day," Condon wrote. "That day, he also went past the known count of 161 questions in former President Obama's first month in 2009, though that carries an asterisk because transcripts don't exist for most of the interviews he granted." Ny Times Editorial Board Urges Kamala Harris To 'Do Better' Than Biden In Taking Questions From Reporters The White House correspondent added further, "It took Trump only one more day to blow past the questions he took in his first month in 2017 — 200 questions by the end of his fourth day compared to 199 for his first term's entire first month." Read On The Fox News App David Greenberg, a professor of both history and journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, said the findings show that Trump considers himself his own best mouthpiece. "These numbers speak for themselves," he told the Journal . "They probably don't need a lot of analysis. It clearly shows a comfort level with being his own spokesman. … He enjoys it. He thinks of himself as a persuasive personality, or he enjoys the attention—or both. And he may not be wrong. He has demonstrated that he can command a following for the way he puts his ideas." Martha Joynt Kumar, Towson University professor emerita of political science and leading scholar on White House press operations, told The National Journal that Trump is using the Oval Office to speak directly to Americans in a way that grabs their attention. "People stop when they see a president in the Oval Office talking on their television. They want to know what he's saying," she said. Trump Officials List 5 Weekly Accomplishments Ahead Of Musk Midnight Deadline White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has noted the president's accessibility – a stark contrast to Biden. "Over the past month, the president has taken questions from the press—all of you—nearly every single day, sometimes on multiple occasions," she said. "President Trump set the tone on this approach immediately when he took more than 12 times the questions in his first few hours in office as Joe Biden did in his entire first week."Original article source: President Trump reportedly took 1,009 questions in his first month, 7 times more than Biden
Fox News
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
President Trump reportedly took 1,009 questions in his first month, 7 times more than Biden
President Donald Trump reportedly answered more than 1,000 questions in the first month of his second term, surpassing both previous presidents and the first 30 days of his first term. During the 2024 campaign, both former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were frequently criticized for their lack of unscripted media appearances. Trump, by contrast, has made it a cornerstone of his public image and his political career that he is willing to offer off-the-cuff remarks at a moment's notice, something which has shown no signs of slowing down in his second term. National Journal White House correspondent George E. Condon Jr. reported that his news outlet tracked 1,009 questions the president had answered in the past month, from less than an hour of taking office up until last Wednesday night. "It took Trump only three days to eclipse the 141 questions former President Biden took in his first month; Trump took 164 questions by the end of his third day," Condon wrote. "That day, he also went past the known count of 161 questions in former President Obama's first month in 2009, though that carries an asterisk because transcripts don't exist for most of the interviews he granted." The White House correspondent added further, "It took Trump only one more day to blow past the questions he took in his first month in 2017 — 200 questions by the end of his fourth day compared to 199 for his first term's entire first month." David Greenberg, a professor of both history and journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, said the findings show that Trump considers himself his own best mouthpiece. "These numbers speak for themselves," he told the Journal . "They probably don't need a lot of analysis. It clearly shows a comfort level with being his own spokesman. … He enjoys it. He thinks of himself as a persuasive personality, or he enjoys the attention—or both. And he may not be wrong. He has demonstrated that he can command a following for the way he puts his ideas." Martha Joynt Kumar, Towson University professor emerita of political science and leading scholar on White House press operations, told The National Journal that Trump is using the Oval Office to speak directly to Americans in a way that grabs their attention. "People stop when they see a president in the Oval Office talking on their television. They want to know what he's saying," she said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has noted the president's accessibility – a stark contrast to Biden. "Over the past month, the president has taken questions from the press—all of you—nearly every single day, sometimes on multiple occasions," she said. "President Trump set the tone on this approach immediately when he took more than 12 times the questions in his first few hours in office as Joe Biden did in his entire first week."
