"The Washington press corps has long since lost any trace of adult behavior.
Once a President stands in front of them and asks for questions, the press corps turns into a shouting pack of petulant teenagers. They shout out their questions in a cacophony of chaos.
Here is how Trump can take control.
First, as each reporter enters the room, he/she is handed a 3x5 card and an instruction sheet.
The instruction sheet says this.
The instruction sheet says this.
You have been given a 3x5 card. This card is for one question. Make it a good one. Make it precise. Please print clearly. President Trump will answer it unless it is a national security issue of the highest importance, which is unlikely. So, you really will get an answer. Ask exactly the question you want answered.
Pass your card to the person collecting the cards.The cards will be set on the table at the table at the front of the room. One of you will be selected by the person collecting the cards to shuffle them. Then another one of you will be selected to shuffle them a second time.The shuffled pack of cards will be handed to the President. He will answer them in order. If it takes five hours, he will answer all of them.He cannot do this if there is constant shouting after each answer. That is why he has set up this arrangement. Here are the ground rules.1. Anyone who shouts out a question will be removed from the room. (This will take extra time.)
2. The person escorted out will be banned from any future press conference in President Trump's term of office. There will be no appeals. Your employer will have to send another representative.3. We will take a video of each ejection. This will be made available to every news outlet. They will also be posted on the White House site.President Trump has said this: "I am not bluffing. Do not call my bluff. I am determined to keep these Q&A sessions quiet, efficient, and civil. You will get what you want: answers. I will get what I want: press conferences that are are not chaotic."
He would then come in. He would be handed the stack of cards. He would start answering.
Some loudmouth reporter will eventually yell out a question. Trump will have that person removed.
He would then say: "One more time: I am not bluffing. That person will not be allowed back to one of my press conference under any circumstances. If you want to stay on the White House beat, please do not imitate [him/her]." He would then answer another question.
He would stick to his guns, no matter what. If he has to clear the room, one by one, he would stick to his guns.
He would not have to do this more than four times in the first meeting. They will have gotten the memo. They will believe it.
This is a legitimate quid pro quo. He will not dodge questions. In turn, they will sit there, well behaved, as adults should.
They will all lust after a follow-up question for clarification. They won't get it.
He would establish the tone for his Presidency: the media are guests of the President. They must behave accordingly.
Every President should adopt something like thus. Trump can be the first."
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