Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump has been wary of allowing a pool of journalists to travel with him. Following the election, it appears his stance hasn’t changed.
This morning Trump had his first unofficial meeting with a foreign leader, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Both leaders did not give access to the press. Instead, Japan’s government provided a video and photographs of the meeting.
Trump posted a photograph on his Facebook saying “It was a pleasure to have Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stop by my home and begin a great friendship.”
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Photographs released also capture Ivanka Trump at the meeting with the prime minister.
While it’s certainly not unusual to have closed meetings, Trump’s attitude toward the press adds a troubling element to his visit with Abe. Additionally, the president-elect has not held a press conference since Election day.
The Trump administration has said Trump will be having the traditional press pool once inaugurated in office.
Nidia Cavazos is a multimedia journalist with an emphasis on political reporting. She's contributed to Univision, KXAN, and USA Today College, and she was named one of six NBC Fellows by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 2017.