Trump’s relationship with the media is not a good one and we’ve seen him break past traditions with the press, like not going to the White House Correspondents Dinner.
Today it’s being reported that Trump is breaking another tradition with the press – the White House Christmas Party. It’s not that Trump isn’t going, but that they are cancelling it altogether:
FOX NEWS – President Trump has canceled the White House holiday party for the media, making the decades-old tradition a victim of his increasingly contentious relationship with major news organizations.
The annual Christmas-season gathering was a significant perk for those covering the White House, as well as other Washington reporters, anchors and commentators, and New York media executives would regularly fly in for the occasion. At its peak, the invitation-only soirees grew so large that there were two back-to-back events, one for broadcast outlets and one for print organizations.
The White House made no announcement that it was dropping the press party. The president and first lady threw such a gathering last December but did not pose for pictures. Trump made a brief appearance with his wife and offered a few welcoming remarks.
Despite cancelling this party, the White House is holding other parties and a few from the media will be invited to those:
While dropping the media party, the White House is in the midst of a full panoply of other parties this holiday season. Selected media people generally favorable to Trump, including a few Fox News hosts, have made those guest lists.
I don’t think anyone with sense will blame Trump for cancelling this year’s Christmas Party with the press. It’s nothing more than kabuki theater and the press don’t deserve to be honored in such a way after their relentless attacks on the Trump administration since he became president.
Also, I believe it shows that Trump is done with trying to ingratiate himself to the media. That’s a lesson that’s taken him a while to learn but one I don’t see him giving up any time soon.