Newseum is the preeminent National Organization that explains, promotes and defends the five freedoms of the First Amendment and the right of free expression. We welcome over 800,000 visitors a year to our building with exhibits that explain the evolution of freedom. We invite people with very different philosophies to come together to discuss challenges to our fundamental liberties. At our newseum Education Program reaches over 7 million schoolchildren in the United States, and 150 countries across the world, and provides them with digital Course Material on freedom and democracy. We all know that there will inevitably be friction between an administration and journalists. However, perhaps at no point in living memory has there been more concern about freedom of the press in good part because of real or perceived conflict between the Trump Administration and the media. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 83 of americans believe that current tensions have made the relationship between the administration and the news media unhealthy. And about three in four u. S. Adult say that these tensions are getting in the way of access to Important National political news and information. Staying true to our role as a Nonpartisan Forum committed to fostering opinion and substantive discussion, we are so pleased to present this set of conversations as we approach the 100 day mark of the Trump Administration to explore these challenges, and maybe to even find some solution and common ground. We have gathered a diverse array of present and former Administration Officials and journalists to discuss how we got to this point and how, still early in the administration we might act to achieve our common goal of an informed citizenry that is the bedrock of our democracy. We will employ several different formats, including standalone talks and panels in order to investigate these complex issues. We are pleased that this symposium is being broadcast by several different networks, and were also life casting it at newseum. Org live, and on several social media platforms, hashtag trump and the press. Important support for this symposium was provided by the Knight Foundation for which were extremely grateful. Additional funding has been provided by the kohler fond of the Community Foundation for the National Capital region. I would also like to express my thanks to our friends at especially tammy, Betsy Fischer more and Robin Goldman for all their help in putting together this ambitious program. The newseum will continue to export issues that are vital to our democracy. This symposium will launch a yearlong set of discussions entitled the First Amendment and the Trump Administration. I hope that you will attend future events in this series and other newseum programs that explore consequential issues. Tonight, for instance, in this room we are showing the First Episode of a new Program Inside the fbi, new york. After the episode, i will be interviewing fbi director james comey and executive producer mark levin. Ripped from the headlines indeed. We want to start this morning with a brief presentation from one of the breakout stars of the 2016 campaign and as of monday, Pulitzer Prize winner for 2016 David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post. From his crowd source coverage of Donald Trumps foundation and charitable contributions to the net infamous axis on a date, his work dominate the political conversation last fall. And he hasnt let up. Hes graciously agreed to share his forward thinking approach to Investigative Journalism and his insights into what the future holds for this tour of the vital reporting. And now, David Fahrenthold. [applause] thank you. Thanks everybody for coming. Im so glad to be at the start of what should be a really, really interesting morning. First i should say for those of you who have not been followed the Washington Post is a new pretty gothic dives into darkness. According to the new company policy, we have set the mood, will turn down the lights, turn on the fog machine and i brought a cd of Haunted House sound effects. Two minutes of organ music and screams to get everybody ready. I guess thats not possible. Thank you. We will just imagine. I want to say this at the beginning. This is a time of extraordinary power for the media in washington. I mean that, power, although there are number of people, some of whom they come on the stage later today who have called us fake news or the enemy of the people. The truth is we live in a time when the folks in power, the folks with power in washington often lack the cohesion, the ability, the organization to shape the narrative about themselves. Usually one of the dynamics we deal with in washington is a president ial administration sort of acting as a unit to shape the way the public sees them. We dont have that now for better or for worse. The public more than ever depends on us on the news media to make sense of whats going on in washington. Weve seen times with the people who have power depend on a static sense of what just happened to them. Remember why did mike pence added mike pence learned the National Security advisor mike flint had misled him about his contacts with Russian Ambassador . He read about in the Washington Post. How did House Republicans find out a couple of weeks ago that this health care bill, as obamacare bill they been talking about for months had been pulled without a vote . They read about it from the Washington Post and the New York Times. The president himself had called this news. One of the dynamics we dealt with last year in the transition. Before President Donald Trump took over was the power of his twitter feed, his ability to use twitter to get around us or two more often command us to cover whatever he wanted. But we now have seen even a few weeks President Donald Trump has diluted the power of that weapon, diluted the power of that account by repeatedly using it to hit that he would do things that he would not do or to make claims that he had no evidence to back up your so just a big one example, in chicago doesnt fix the horrible carnage i will send in the fence. He did not send in the fed. 3 Million People didnt vote illegally. He wasnt wiretapped at trump tower as far as we can tell. Those things, those actions, those tweets have taken away what was his ability to act as Americas National news assignment editor from his bathroom or from his bed, from his kitchen table. That ability that no president has ever had to sort of command the media that we saw in january doesnt exist anymore. So we come back to the idea people not rely on us more than ever to make sense of whats going on. Whats our responsibility now as a news media at this moment of unaccustomed influence . Beyond the ageold requirement that we do right in with the fair and fast, i would say theres a quite enough to be more transparent than ever. We have all these people who normally tuned into washington political coverage in the last month of the president ial election and to doubt again. Those people are now engaged. They are reading, excited or encouraged or theyre terrified, whatever it is, theyre reading the details of House Intelligence Committee meetings and investigation and Court Decisions in maryland and how why come all the things that used to be things we covered for washington audience and some audience beyond now is his enormous national audience. So for those people coming to us for the first time or acting as a sustained audience for the first time, we must show them why w were better. We have to show them if they dont know it from our name, we have to show it to them in our work here so last year in the course of reporting stories about Donald Trumps chervil giving a promise to give to charity, i tried to use social media as a means of economic transparency. I use it to show readers what i knew, what im trying to learn, but i still didnt know and how i knew what i had known. This began not by any plan but by necessity. Last year in may i had this reporting problem, a problem i never had to deal with before. Writing for much about this problem that donald trump had made to give six one dollar that had gathered from the public including 1 million out of his own pocket he said he would give to veterans. I couldnt figure out where the money had gone. Especially the 1 million became out of his pocket. I couldnt pick up where had given it. Then Corey Lewandowski called me and he said donald trump and given the Million Dollars away. This was in may for months after the given the money way to Veterans Group or two veteran groups but he couldnt tell me when or how or what amounts to anything else. Hhe said going to share that information. We had to take his word for it. I dont want to take a four because this is a hugely important promise the automated made his concern for veterans i spent a huge part of it come huge selling point is positive campaign. I want proof. Howd you get it . Cant call every Veterans Group in america. Would take forever. You would be able to prove a negative, you wouldnt be able to prove he gave no money away. I tried to find some evidence that donald trump and given some money, tried to find one dollar of his 1 million. I did it on twitter. Heres one example of i tweeted at veterans organizations can veterans advocates, journalist who covered veterans, celebrities advocate for veterans. Anybody active on twitter. I asked them had he gotten even one dollar of this money trump gave away, this Million Dollars . Do you know anybody did . I included trump and also trump himself with cedric the idea being either a Veterans Group with the outlook for and say hey, you didnt ask me but i got 100,000 for trump and heres the proof, or trump himself might see and think import and tell me what he gave. I spent a day i spent a day searching this way on twitter, and i found no money. I didnt find a dollar. Turned out that was because the money did not exist. When Corey Lewandowski told he had given when the doors away, had not. It was only until that night ma3 after done this long public search that trump gave the Million Dollars away. He gave it away in one fell swoop all Million Dollars to group called the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation whose leaders he knew. There we go. Trump called me the next day to say hed given the money away. And i asked trump commune attempted to just giv do this my going out because asking about it . And then he called me a nasty guy, as you can see here. [laughing] this was the last time we talked. [laughing] sulfite later the scope of my reporting whitened and we set it donald trump had been willing to try to wriggle out of a promise to give 1 million to veterans under the bright spotlight we have in journalism, which is american president ial campaign, what was he do when nobody was looking when he was a private citizen . So without evidence he had been promising to give away millions of dollars over the years. And again set out to prove him right. I started calling charity. I asked the Trump Campaign enough i didnt find charity he had given money to. They didnt respond. I set out on my own. I did it to charity so i thought most likely, if he had given any money who wouldve given it today. I made a list on a piece of notebook paper and i took pictures and posted it on twitter. I eventually got to 450 charities, again charities chocolate had praise in public, that had rented out ballrooms from him at maralago, charities keep givin given moneo from his foundation which was not his money, anybody that thought itd given up all of his own money they would have gotten it. I also thought he would call again and tell me the truth of what he had given. This time he did not call. My search turned up between 20082015, a period in which trump that he was giving millions away, turned up one gift at its own pocket of the 45450 charities, that was less than 10,000. I also come in this process i use social media to ask trump supporters, donald trump, anybody who might know a donald trump and given away his money to come forward and make a suggestion and i would add to the list and called to see that guy in his money. I was using social media to solve another problem. Which was the Donald J Trump foundation, this Charity Trump ran, was in his money, other peoples money, he had been using it to buy things that he should use your mind to buy if you want to charity like cat portraits of yourself. So in one case trump had bought with money from his journey paid 10,000 to buy a large portrait of himself. I need to know where the portrait was, because if you bought with the charities might best be used for charitable purposes. Whatever trump had done with this giant portrait of himself it had to be a general purpose. I needed to know what it was. This is one of a number of times i asked my referral. I asked twitter followers for help and h amaze me with ingenuity. They found things i never wouldve found only on. So in this example theres a reader of mine, a stayathome mother and a short story writer in atlanta. She had the idea to look on the trip advisor page for trumps golf course where people at posted pictures of the 18th green of the hotel buffett or hotel bathroom. 350 photos in she finds at the very bottom there, a picture of donald trump. The portrait ive been searching for, dismissing portrait is shown on trip advisor page hanging on the wall of this sports bar at trumps golf resort. Thats a huge break, but the portrait in the picture was federally 2016. Its now as you can see september. I need to know where is it now. That same night i guy named ricky who is an anchor in miami, he does a spanishlanguage national broadcast, he sees that ive retweeted, we know where the painting was at least in february. He realizes thats four blogs with in a studio. He makes a a reservation for the night. He didnt want to give donald trump any of his money so he uses points. [laughing] he goes over, he goes and checks in. Its late like 12 30 p. M. He asked the cleaning crew to let him into the sports bar and there it is. In the flesh. So in 14 hours we went from not knowing where in the world this portrait was, he couldve thrown away, couldve been anywhere, to having it on the wall in the flesh come in disk is barely breaking the law. Just as applescript one of the funniest part of the story was the explanation for how this portrait from the Trump Campaign how this portrait came to hang on the wall at the sports bar, they said it may appear that the charity, that did the sports bar a favor by buying art that hangs on the sports bars wall but the sports bar is doing the charity a favor by storing the portrait on the sports bar wall. This got one of my favorite quotes of this whole story was, legal experts said its hard to make an irs auditor laugh, but this would do it. [laughing] so since President Trumps inauguration ive seen a number of other news outlets using transparency, sort of embracing transparent in other ways beyond social media. One example is the great things the New York Times and the scs to reason with a post the full transitext of the interview with doctor they sit down and talk with trump, instead of just the right, theres some who want to give people edwards of people can take them and find things they think are interesting and see all picture, see what i shall ask him responded. Also see it in incredible stories recently from us at the post, the times, the New York Times, the wall street journal, politico with you talk about how, theyre writing about west wing infighting and they tell you exactly how many people leaked from within west wing. If youre some like me, its more people than you thought worked at the west wing that are being quoted, you know, theres a political sort i admire recently with it talked about a rebranding effort in the west wing where i think 20 people had been gathered together to talk about the messaging of President Trumps first 100 days and their stories with six had leaked. So an incredible rate. I talked earlier about how we want to show people why we do is better. If you read that story and c6 out of the 20 attendees leaked the story, you will have a lot of confidence that story is right. So being transparent helps readers understand we are not fake news, trust more will be due. It helps us by forcing us to focus on what we know and to be more explicit and providing at her thinking about how we know what we know. If you want to call a 20th source because you think would be better to have 20 leakers rather than 19 in your story, the 20th person might tell you something you didnt know. It might tell you the first 19 people were wrong. I think the more explicit about how we know what we know exactly we talk to only makes our reporting that and only increases that trust. So in closing, for the news media our new power, should come with a profound sense of humility and an openness to criticism about what we adore, what we dont think is worthy in the expedition to we have to become as we become more transparent we have to listen to what comes back in from people who think were not doing it right or missing the story. I hope with greater chance printable picture which one we deserve the time and the trust. I hope it makes it more likely we question ourselves in the process of displaying a work to others. So i look forward to hearing more from a lot of people today. It should be so fascinating. Thank you for letting me started off. [applause] david, thank you so very much, and congratulations again on the pulitzer. Next up, communicating for a president , some say its one of the toughest jobs in washington. We have two familiar faces who have represented president s from each party on our next panel. Here to introduce them and moderate the session is former White House Correspondent or politico and the cofounder and executive editor of axios, its a special pleasure to welcome mike allen. [applause] congratulations on a great lineup. Congratulations to david and his wife elizabeth and their colleagues at the Washington Post whose work is so inspiring. Inspiring. Thanks to the newseum for an incredible host. Jeff, third, the vicechairman is over, betsy, and all the people at work so hard to bring this session to us. Talking about communicating for and with a president we have two of the great practitioners of this. A lucky to have Jennifer Palmieri whose direct or present obama, 20132015. She held the same position and sector clintons president ial campaign. A long history of working with the press, and when the new times did a story about her joining the clinton campaign, they pointed out that she tends to work with rather than against the press, not necessarily common pictures a Deputy White House press a sector under present Clinton National press secretary for the john edwards 2004 campaign. Ari fleischer was press secretary for president bush from his first term until the end of 2003, we spent a lot of time in texas, a lot of time in maine, a lot of time on the plane. Before the podium in the 2000 campaign he was working for the enemy, elizabeth dole, before joining george w. Bush and started a communications as a hill rat, but ari and jennifer have known each other since 91. This is true. Ari and i come i would fully open and when he was in house and he was just at the House Budget Committee and ari was the spokesperson for the Senate Budget committee. We were friendly and our bosses were pythons and Work Together quite well. Actually it was relatively uncommon even those days a lot more uncommon in. It was a long, long time ago, long, long gone in this town. Ari fleischer come you at the podium finally briefings for president george w. Bush . 300 on camera. It was a perfect bowling score. 300 off. For those 300 what is the biggest mistake you made at the podium . [laughing] i think that speaks well of you that i cant think of one. Taking it. [laughing] no. You know, obviously watching what happened to poor sean yesterday, i twice had issue apologies and issues i said on life camera. It is immense pressure speedy stick to the task. Spirit good memory. One of my favorite reporters, april asked me a question once about is an push a plane for the violence in the middle east . The second . And she put george bush wasnt doing anything to resolve the situation in the middle east but bill clinton was and there was no violence when bill clinton was president. So i didnt like the premise of the question. So pointed out the pilots begin in september 2000 when bill clinton but the status of jerusalem on the negotiating table and then i continued, in an effort to shoot the moon thats when the violence began. So before the bridge was even over the headlines were bush blames clinton for middle east violence. Condi rice got into her office and said shes got a call from the clinton is good advice and i need apologize. I said no, i dont. After five minutes of that conversation i realized yes, i do. So i march myself into the oval, turn myself into the present. I had to apologize and then the second was in the lead up to the warner rock that the war in iraq and the work to be what the iraqi people took it in their own hands just one vote that would not to be need for any military operation speedy you are skipping watch what you do, what would you say. No, no, no. You should know better on that one. That one was totally taken out of context. What a surprise. No, no, no. Everybody from the Washington Post ombudsman from when you work there to ted koppel defendedefendme on that one. You were just on cnn from the newseum and you took what the anchor called very magnanimous view of yesterday situation to you said sean spicer did the right thing. What should you do today . You know, i think he should show up here and explain it. Thats what you do when you make a mistake. You just walk through it. He has an obligation, and i say this as both this precedent someone who is very, very proudly jewish, he has an obligation to say what he was thinking, what he got wrong and to make clear that its a heartfelt apology. Jen palmieri, what a surprise you but how the Trump Administration communicate . I have been surprised that is relatively conventional actually. I thought that it is i think is very helpful for the press, its good for america, it has certainly been helpful on my set of gal for democrats that is daily briefing. I wasnt sure that they would continue that, and, but it doesnt seem to be a very effective way for trump to actually and the Trump White House actions to mitigate with the American People. There is a lot that comes out of everything thats newsy, and thats great for the public, and there shall have been moments that were helpful for us. But they do that, goes on fox and trump tweets but of the net they dont really give much communicating. I thought that they would be more unconventional in trying to reach local press, trying to reach regional press, viewing, you know, President Trump could be going on some of the softer television shows. What i thought my job and working for president obama was, it is his job to communicate to the American People, right . So that takes a lot of different forms. That is you want to commit to get your message and what youre trying to achieve in your agenda but you have a responsibility just explained to the American People whats happening and explain how they should think about world events, and there came a time in our white house where it wasnt possible to just do that to the press. And if youre only talking to the press you are not doing your job as Communications Director because you are not reaching everyone. So in the Obama White House without about how you reach everyone where they are so that he could be communicating with them. And in the Trump White House theyre talking to you guys which is great, and i think the press has risen to the occasion and how trump is being covered and not letting important storylines go by the wayside. But leaving a lot of the table and not commuting with others. Ari fleischer, putting together some notes for this panel was very interested in the balance between serving the president , the boss, and the needs of the press. As part of that should isolate between what you think we will see up here, this is from right after the inauguration went sean spicer did the briefing about the crowd size. We can see the tweet there for those who are listening online, he says this is called a statement youre told to make by the president and you know the president is watching. Yeah, that was best saturday beginning to the administration, the inaugural celebration. It was just a foolish endeavor from the start to the end, the notion that crowd size mattered, that the president needed to weigh in on what the size of the crowd was as a validation of his election and poor sean. Sean was sent out to argue with the press about it and it was a terrible way for a press secretary to begin relations with the press corps on that saturday night. I sit at the time if sean fumbled the ball on saturday night, he picked it up, recovered and ran for a first down on monday when he had his first briefing. That by the way i gave the cout tonight like the nightline chopped it in millet said sean fumbled the ball on saturday night and put the court on the air, which is also i think occasionally work. But look, the press secretary step is to reflect the president and i will make the case of the White House Press corps anytime today would you rather have a press secretary who you really like, you get along with welcome who really treat you nicely but has no clue what im trump is thinking . Of which would have a press secretary who was in the office come in the oval, knows intuitively what Donald Trump Police wants to be said and says a community doesnt get along with you . Ii should answer from anyone is still like to get along but they would much rather have a press secretary who knows what the president is thinking because thats the press secretaries job, love him or dont love him. Jen palmieri, as top to mitigate for clinton and president obama how often was there a conflict between communicating effectively for the president and balancing the issue of concerns to journalists such as accuracy, axis and truth . It was inherent in every conversation that you have with your colleagues and its inherent in every decision that gets made involving the press with, at the white house. And i thought that i think ari is right. Everybody would always come they would just value someone who they prefer having a source that was knowledgeable than somebody that even gave him access elsewhere in the white house or someone who was pleasant. That was always the most important credibility for the press secretary and their commodity to protect. So you would go, when i worked for president clinton and present obama we would make sure that was, when i was there, jay carney was pres press secretaryd josh earnest, that the relationship with the president had to be people come and go and had to understand that that was a direct and that they had, could walk in the oval office at any point, was in every meeting and that was really, that was the key thing. But it was also our job to advocate for the press within the building and thats like a very unpopular thing to do. And true of Hillary Clinton, bill clinton and barack obama, your friends in the press, each, every bus ive had, your friends in the press my people, your people. Your people, ari, yes. Your people. So you have, but it is, you understand that is, its part of your job not just because he got to service the press but you are ultimately, you are just constantly trying to keep your site out of trouble. Where is the line between over responding to buying into the premise of a story that the press are pushing that is damaging your white house, like wheres the line between lets ignore it and try to wait for it to run its course, or we are compounding problem by not engaging and try to figure out when you engage in when you dont is like the real, thats the constant battle thats going on in your head. On the best days did president clinton or president obama like the press, understand the press more . President obama i guess. President obama would get, i mean, president clinton, i guess i could see, the funny thing about both of them is you could see either one of them having chosen journalism as a path and that they understand communicating, they understand the power of journalism. They would both get frustrated by journalis journals they conso be lazy, taking the easy way out, being cynical in that by dumbing down politics to just process. That would frustrate, that would probably frustrate both of them. President obama had an interesting Learned Behavior though. So a good example i had come i worked at the white house during healthcare. Gov, which back then counted like a huge disaster that lets say didnt work. Seems sort of quaint in retrospect. But that was like the big crisis in the country was up at the website didnt work. People were not getting healthcare fast enough. President obama thought it was iraq. Unbelievable stress. We were in a meeting in the oval office with the industry to walk out of the present was like hold on. He said, i want you to know that i know that the press around the website isnt going to get better until it is fixed. So, hes like you should keep trying and its great that youre trying but but i want yo know that i understand, like this isnt a press problem. This is come and tell it how to work some getting healthcare, like the press isnt going to improve. So i just dont like to carry that around with you. I get that its not going to come and i was like wow, thank you. That just lifted a lot of pressure off. I was assured by my colleagues in the Obama White House that would be Learned Behavior on his part that he didnt walk into the white house thinking that the press staff should be able to fix press problems there it was a big joke in the Obama White House and a really credit my colleagues because a look at me like, i would say to them just because a story appears in the press or an issue is aired at in the press doesnt make it a press problem. Usually its just a problem and where you read about in the press they would all look and say you know, jennifer, i dont know. Its like a Big Communications problem, you know, hoping with the website or ebola. This is a date press problem because people really worried about ebola and it showing up in the press. But they understood the difference between what you could, what was actually just a problem that needs to get managed, and the were in fact, communication problems, too, and what to hold you responsible for and what not. In the early days of Hillary Clinton 2016 president ial campaign, in your your effort to broker a recess between secretary clinton and the press, which partner, which have of that was less cooperative . A deep sigh. Heres something coming out of the clinton campaign. Hillary clinton is someone who actually understands the press and politics and is a good strategist and understands that all much better than people give her credit for or understand. And going in, i thought that there was a possibility for the press relationships to be different. I think if you talk to the press that covered the campaign they would say, you know, we did our part to keep, to keep the relationship professional and pretty good at other circumstances. I had a few screaming matches on carmax, everybody does, but what, what we walked into was the press thought that emma a cn was going to be the next president and they thought that they were hard on her and came after her i and everything i thought they believed was going to make her a better candidate, was going to make her a tougher president , and made an issue out of, blue emails into such a big issue that we never could get ahead of that pic and i think that, but i think that that is, that is why is it that she was actually going to win. And that early on, thats like in the spring of 2015. It got blown out of proportion. In no sense of proportion i think grossly mishandled by the press. And obviously haunted her until the election. And the other end of the telescope, why does she hate us . She doesnt hate you. She does speedy was at a single you or a plural you . [laughing] you are very observing. You cant hit a kitty. She doesnt hate you, mike here. [laughing] it is pretty hard, you guys can totally tell the clinton has been through in the last 30 years and that understand that shes going to have some doubts about how the press is going to, how the press is going to treat her. I would note when she was secretary of state she had a great relationship with the press because relationship with them was on her job and issues. And she even socialized with the members of the press corps that covered her during the state department. But at stiff and what happens in a president ial campaign where its much more of a cat and mouse game. To the detriment of the public and also where it is, its much more about her personally. I certainly think i could write a book. I may write a book about how shes a generationally challenging figured she was a baby boomer from the moment she walked onto her commencement stage at wellesley and she gave a pretty challenging commencement address. She was a woman, a baby boomer. She was challenging the norms of what the roles of women should be. The next time we saw her she was first lady and she was a woman who had a terrific she wasnt going to stalemate and bake cookies. Was very challenging. And she drew on a lot of fire from that and i think that that fire the finder in the minds of a lot of people, and her press coverage has been colored by that ever since. The hatred that hangs around the woman is completely irrational. And i think its has its beginnings in the decades before and elements continue in a press coverage to this day. Ari fleischer, right after the inauguration the New York Times interviewed you about sean spicer is eagerness and willingness to confront the press corporate viewpoint out thats a frequent tradition. You had a great quote pic is anybody complains about the press but most people by their tongue. Donald trump does not bite his tongue. But look, mike, when youre a republican had dealt with the press as i have for some 30 years in this town, i do think its a fair conclusion to reach that the press is biased and that the press goes about its job in way that doesnt inspire the working people that are coming for news and thats up to the fair or. Donald trump pushed back in the way most republicans didnt. Is that working for them . Let me give the predicate of why it largely is working for them although in this and nobody would ever believe it. Theres a couple bottles of undecided and i brought them with me. I had a feeling this might come up. September 2016 a gallup poll poll came up asking the most fundamental question about do you have confidence in the press to tell the news report the news fully, fairly and accurately . The core mission of the press. Historic alltime low, 32 of the of the American People have confidence in the news to do their job, report the news fully, from and i could look at 14 of republicans have confidence. 30 of independents, 51 of democrats. Alltime historical low. The pupil asked in november 2016 at the election, they gave a list of institutions in our society and said give an f grade these institutions. Voters, so public was asked to give a greater the voters themselves, 13 f vote for the voters. Hillary clinton, she got 21st 21 of the pub gave her an epic democrats cut cut 20 pollsters 30 , gop 30 . Donald trump 35 . The press 38 . Hold on, im not done. They hate us spirit dont dismiss my point, at the election then is anything changt because donald trump is so unpopular . Do people swing, other changing thoughts about donald trump . Gallup poll came out last week, persons of adults with no confidence in, 4 , military 5 . K12 principles 7 , Business Leaders 14 14 elected official9 pacific news media 21 . Then finally gallup poll also last week, city 4 say the press favor democrats, 20 say they favor republicans. But the press tends to often to dismiss the come to go beyond it to just acknowledge it. I think theyve heard it for so long but then they dont care. They dont change. This is the fundamental problem with the press and its why donald trump doesnt strike a chord when he takes the press on. He does it in a way that is sometimes overthetop and can be offensive but it also resonates with a lot of people who are tired of it and think the press should change. My only advice to reporters, a group i do enjoy working with and always have believed and because of support for the country to have a strong independent press is you have to take seriously when it at the historic alltime low when people dont have confidence you report the news fairly and accurately, stop focusing on process, stop hitting one can do gets another, focus on substance and stop telling the American People what it is they should think or follow. Just tell them the facts and leave the judgment up to the people. Related to that, jen palmieri [applause] related to that, jen palmieri, question that betsy gately is why is the press so focused on policy . I think that theres like, house intrigue has, it has a rolling coverage i think that it should be covered because it tells you, tells you a lot about how the white house is operating and that is valid for the American People to know, and tell you what kind of leadership style the present is employing or i think that is somewhat relevant for people to know. It goes way overboard to a point of being a distraction, not just for the press. It can burn up a lot of time in the white house. Its a very dangerous thing. You can get consumed by it. It was something the Obama White House did a good job of ignoring, whatever the press is saying about the staff and we were able to keep it at a minimum that it can be very, very distracting and thats damaging for everyone. I think it happens because if, its a way for the press resist covering issues in a deep and serious way because you are either coming doing so you are usually come down on one side or the other, right wax so if you cover process, if you cover personalities, if you just judge the white house on whos getting along and whos not, or are they executing well or not and you dont have to wait and what theyre actually doing, thats a safer place for the press to be. When i worked in the Democratic White House what i found was i think, this is virginia a lot over the last 20 years, i think most journalists are probably plenty more to the left and right. And by the kind of person that is drawn to do this as a career. They believe in government if they think politics matters. They like it. They find interesting. They dont make a lot of money. That doesnt concern them. What i found is the means they come after us harder on what it described as the crap. They, harder at us on the process, things that really shouldnt matter that really contribute to the cynicism that is revealed in these numbers because youre not talking about what people care about. To make the point more broadly, we were chatting backstage and were talking about topics would be fun to cover and the topic that both ari and jennifer brought up was biased. You are making the point that because what you think reporters natural inclinations are, they are more likely to be harder on you in general. I think in general are because they also, i remember during president clintons years, first was revealed to me, gas prices were high and there were coming after us on something and it was during gore and bush and the election. And i said if president bush were present you guys would be coming after hi i guess price of the bill, because hes a republican. But your democrat. Yoyou are like, i was like okay, democrats are supposed be better, supposed to do, and they would put, and i think that is really, i definitely found a difference dad and coming democrats that incoming republicans. Not necessarily its just a different metric that they apply to us come to democrats that they came after us harder on both being able to solve a problem, or, and also on proce process. Thats interesting for me to hear her say that given that she worked for both Hillary Clinton and bill clinton and barack obama because i think what youre saying is valid about the clintons. The press had no like for the clintons and i think was reciprocated. With barack obama it was totally different. The press with soft on barack obama. They were hard on the clinton even harder on donald trump in my estimation. Look, in 2013 halfway through the obama diminishing the atlantic magazine did a store that show 24 journalist, not columnist, not editorial writers, working journalists went into the obama administration, linda douglass, jay carney. Do you know what its like to be a press secretary on the phone with a reporter asking legitimate newsworthy stories only to realize later that reporter entered the administration against those ideas that you hold . Divorcee we are fair for me to pick up due. With 24 went went into the obama administration. It reminds the other side that live in 2008 between hillary and obama. The press loves now to cover sudden alive when it ridicules donald trump will remember in the skit with at the debate between barack obama and Hillary Clinton and the press oration was can we put any post behind you, rock obama . How many pillows would you like fax i dont think that findability chang changed in eit years of the obama coverage. The press love to barack obama. They loved his story as a candidate in 2008, his his speech in 2006. And i brought with me some of the greatest quotes about barack obama. Time, joe klein, obama has seen the equivalent of a rainbow, a current natural event inspiring and ecstasy. Meredith vieira, nbc today show, interview with barack obama, many people after your 20 speech were not sure how to pronounce your name but the removed by you. People were calling. You tapped into something you touched people. And it really never stop even during the years when he was president. Heres Washington Post about president obamas vacation fitness program. Between workouts trick is how why vacation this week he was photographed looking like a paradise of a new kind of president ial fitness. One could last towards preventing heart attacks. The sun off chiseled pectorals [laughing] sculpted and weightlifting sessions each week, a body tone by regular treadmill runs and basketball games. Was that dan bolles . That was eli. Washington post and the times, now we are all accustomed to the obiwan kenobi, but what most seem so sally about barack obama is opposite of flashy, the antithesis of writer. He gets things done. Hes a man about his business, nicks or fix it. The melodrama of a three m phone call, adores swung open for a candidate who would merely stented ludovic and the land, a competent man is king. How much would you pay . And by the way, i have zero political clients now. Im in the board of the republican jewish coalition. And they left the white house had deliberately wanted no politics. Corporate communications, one of the reasons i enjoy politics so much as it has nothing to do with my livelihood. But frankly elliott to your question with a direct story and that was and i was on the ways and Means Committee in the 1990s, 1997. 12 students from Columbia Journalism School came and i spent an hour talking about how this is made on capitol hill. At the end of my talk i said to these 12 students, just out of curiosity how many of you voted for bob dole and how many for bill clinton . Clinton first. 11 hands went to the eyesight so only one of you voted for bob dole . No, i voted for ralph nader. [laughter] journalism will never fix itself until it addresses the selfselection issue of who goes into journalism. A indiscernible and Ronald Reagan voters and when pat buchanan voter and i guarantee the definition of ms. Itself will change. Journalists cannot correct it within the newsroom itself. If the matter the type of person who go into journalism. Theres nothing nefarious. People who go onto wall street archive for mcauliffe is a generalized statement. Any more ideological ideological balance in newsrooms. Any people who are able to think differently and say i think donald trump can win this presidency. Youre missing whats going on in the heartland in the ring so wrong because they couldnt understand it. They could relate to it. The Washington Post and sonny purdue was named secretary of agriculture, they put out a story, a headline knocking purdue for praying for rain. He prayed for rain. This is not uncommon in religious parts of america. This is just this year or last year when it was named by the headline for the man praying. Whats wrong with praying. To the president did issue the public needs to understand. A man prays. Spinach and pulmonary, if youre a consultant, how would you recommend what is being missed or what could be done more sharply. The coverage is better than i expect it. You know, i believe President Trump, i think that hes the real threat he can type normal conventioneer standard of how democrats raised onto him or how the press treats him. I think it has been editor than i expect it. I was concerned important storylines to get dropped like russia. I understand when he tweaked something people are still going back to the storylines that matter. Theres still a lot out there that sort of hidden in plain sight about how the white house operates that they need to think more critically about. If you look at circumstances, the president retreating that has the nsa leak. Its ridiculous. It is just so absurd. Think about what that means. Someone in the white house, someone in the administration is leaking information to justify the president s false tweets about president obama wiretapping him. Probably to make sure the president doesnt know all the details of what youre trying to figure out before you come to some sort of conclusion so they are not contaminated by that. I find it really hard to believe that anyone is protect in donald trump when its asking questions about what kind of intel did the obama people have . Theres still not enough Critical Thinking about what does that mean that happening now. For the other end of the telescope in the west wing, and the fact of life, how do you deal with that . The Obama White House did not have a lot of them. I think it was definitely a tone set up the top and there was an eat those that we are all in this together. Theres a lot of respect for everyone. Their white house didnt have a lot of links either. You can see that was her decide at the top. Clinton white house was a little more volatile, a little more fluid and we have more leaks. Theyre the best you can say about the person is they think they know better than anyone out. They think they can control the outcome or protect their own reputation by leaking. I think this is a problem sean spicer has is a definite at the podium and his reasons for why thats been a problem, then everyone is leaking has more credibility. They dont feel like youre getting what they need from the podium or press secretary, they go inside the white house everywhere else and that is when we have what you see now with alliteration and tories they are all based on legs. This is where no drama obama surge very well. The fact he kept a calm hand to take on the personality and if the boss fights pitted cams they act like they did camps which was prime leakage for reporters. Thats why obama ran such a good cam. You suggested to changes to the press briefing and you take it off of live tv, had the video embargo. Explain how that would work and why. My conclusion with a joint oped for journalism review about it. The briefing has become a tv show is a serious briefing. The press secretary accept a participant in tv show. The little hand, movement and looking for the middle of the rooms. It becomes this stage and the cameras to the cutaways of the reporters used to wear ties and jackets to the briefing. They know their editors will make them out of the air that night. Thats not a serious policy briefing. I take the briefing off of camera and if theres an event like september 11th, you can change it pours should be live. I would work that out with the correspondents association. It doesnt need to shape things that shake things up. It needs to calm things down. Go back to the normal things that were starkly worked in the sound was just talking to reporters and fellowmen on whats going on. Taking questions and if this confrontational atmosphere is possible which is hard to do but the camera makes it more confrontational and often unnecessary. Jan palmieri you told George Stephanopoulos this week this was their figuring out the right way to oppose this president. They should follow the rules that they should not follow convention. What is your think about how democrats can effectively oppose the administration . By that comment there are certain niceties that washington observes. Thats convention. Rules are whats in the constitution and within the law. Not voting for subset i think i have to take whatever stands they can take to use whatever leverage they have two pressure at that time to respond to their needing to get from the administration. I think that they should be pushing on any legislative letters they have on russia, for example and there are only there are last nasty in there. They have a little more leverage than House Democrats and they cant just stay in their own dogs. You have to understand i think they are there to protect our democracy and use whatever leverage they have to do that, even if its never been done before. About to get the code here. Jen palmieri, a life hack. Thanks for young people in this room are watching on tv that could help them become you. So what i learned in the Clinton White house as nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems in the institutional past. I think thats certainly true in politics. This is why he never read an email that leaked about myself from john podesta because i know its going to pass. But what i also learned in the Clinton White house excuse me i wish. The clinton campaign, i went in there thinking i know how to do this. I have a ton of communications experience. I can control the narrative can tell a good story. I have very little ability today to do that, but i know what to do. I can handle whatever did happen. Even if you cant control what does happen just worry about how youll handle something. Or pleasure as we say goodbye here. At the top of the game advising president s, professional sports leagues. Show us your phone. The might cost me on my old flip phone. [laughter] i was at a yankees game once talking on my flip phone and it showed me with my son on my lap and made fun of me. I also had this on peer flip open your phone and explain why you have it. The im a new yorker. I spent 21 years here and i couldnt wait to move back to new york when i was done. This is my last piece of washington i have. Its to late two phone number and it still has direct dial to the bunker under the white house, camp david. Im never getting rid of this. We think our audience online. Think the museum, chuck shelby, oliver amazing host here who made this possible. Betsy fisher and all the people working behind the scenes in for an amazing conversation, jen palmieri. [applause] mike, jen and operate, thank you so much. And now we are going to welcome them in whos currently holding the title White House Press secretary. Sean spicer before coming to the white house was Communications Director for the Republican National committee. And here to talk with sean about life behind a podium in the Trump Administrations relationship with the press is a veteran of each of the Cable News Networks and a great friend of the museum now msnbc, greta van fester and. Greta van fester and [applause] good morning, everyone. Sean, good morning. Sean, lets start with yesterday. [laughter] the holocaust situation, question. Your thoughts today. I made a mistake. Theres no other way to say it. I got into a topic that they should not and i screwed up. I hope people understand we all make mistakes. I hope i showed that i understand i did that and that i saw peoples forgiveness because i screwed up and i hope each person can understand that part of existing misunderstanding when you do something wrong if you own a two economy you do it. You let people know and i did it. For me, obviously theres two takeaways. One if it is a very holy week for both the jewish people in the christian people and to make a gaffe or a mistake like this is inexcusable and reprehensible of all weeks, this was not this compounds that. But second of all first of all, im a really is painful to myself to know that i did Something Like that because that obviously was not my intention. And to know when you screw up that she possibly offended a lot of people. Inside ask obviously for the folks forgiveness. I should not try to make a comparison. Theres no comparing atrocities and its a very solemn time for so many folks that this is part of that. Thats obviously a very difficult thing personally to deal with because you know a lot of people who dont know you wonder why you did it. That is first and foremost. Secondly, from a professional standpoint its obviously disappointing. I think the president had an unbelievable couple weeks. He took her Decisive Action in syria. Hes made tremendous progress with president xi jinping in china and your job as spokesperson is to amplify the president s actions and accomplishments. I think its had an unbelievable successful couple of weeks. When you are in from that passage of accomplishment in your job is to be the exact opposite on a professional level is disappointed because i let the president down. Unlike a personal level and professional level, that would go down is not a very good day in the history. To the president say anything last night . I havent talked to this morning gave in a message from anyone else . I dont get into private conversations. This was my mistake, my bad that i needed to fix so im not going to get any to any additional conversations i may or may not have had. I just want to say this is mine too long, mind to apologize for any night to for forgiveness for. Turning to other issues, is the press gunning for you . I think some folks clearly have an agenda. Some folks are openminded and some folks probably root for you. But theres sort of a spectrum. What is the surprise in the job for you . Youre the republican headquarters for a number of years. Is surprising you . I think the level i wouldnt say its a surprise that did not have to thats fairly unbelievable no matter what you do, what you where it kind of gets amplified to the degree that you couldnt imagine. And i also think what the priorities are about what gets covered, what doesnt get covered in sort of the obsession with some other process which i always centers and the process and anders and upanddown. When you look at the issues that our world and country are dealing with, sometimes the obsession with who does and who doesnt whos done in one week and whose animating versus the substance of whats being taken and the American People protect us or deal with world incident is sort of intriguing. Do you have a fancy work for the president , the white house or the American People. Who do you think you working for . To some degree assault. Had he reconcile that . Youre in a position of advocating. At the end of the day, the American People about it. I ultimately answer to him. Its his agenda being pursued in Elective Office are elected by a group of people and you pursue an agenda that you feel that you communicated to those people are accountable to those people that you brought it up during the campaign or not. First and foremost the president my job to go out there and help amplify and discuss what he is doing and why hes doing it and the accomplishments that he has. How much access you had to the president . Playmaker thats not a problem. Talk everyday come and spend time every day . I get up around 5 00, 5 15, starting email and then usually try to do some kind of exercise. Again, we are monitoring the issue of the day going over what the events are in meetings early in the 7 00 hour and then basically figuring out what we are advancing as well as with the income is in the issues playing hot, what issues they think will overtake the day in the events happening and how we will communicate those. I assume you get complaints in the media. What are the complaints you get from the media . Is always an issue with access. They want more. Access to your access to the president. It doesnt matter. There is nothing that they dont want access to. So that is probably first and foremost what they want and obviously an administration official, the president , you name it. Other complaints in the press . Theres been one or two. Im trying to see how to facilitate a better relationship between the press and the white house. Its naturally combative because no matter what the administration or what the party is common for president i was going to want more of what it is and that the nature of the relationship. There are some things to your question at the advantage of your scenario, deserted most recent Republican Press secretary directly at the sun republican side that there is an element of being first in trying to get things on social media, et cetera that is change the dynamic by which that room in a relationship exists. People would much prefer not to have Anonymous Sources. I think theres a difference. There are people on a policy level who are implementing that are helping to shape policy. Because of the nature of what they do come in a dont want their names out there not because theyre hiding that because they are there to serve the people and the government, but when you can bring someone into the briefing room, everyone can see who they are. Thats a much different thing than well get a phone call to say we have five backgrounds are safe bets they you cross the street the wrong way. The question is theres no accountability. We dont know who they are inside the white house the white house or outside the white house. That is very difficult to respond to because you are shooting and almost ago. We try to minimize the use and i wouldnt say Anonymous Sources, but background sources to make sure that people can see the individual is now, but for a lot of folks in government, they are there to serve the American People, to work really hard to work on a particular issue and they dont necessarily want to have their name and family particularly exposed. Ive heard the complaints coming generically from the white house, people in the white house complaining about the overuse of Anonymous Sources by the media and members of the media thinking that some of the people were saying this on the very people making davis wanted to be anonymous. Again, theres a big difference. We get hit with a lot of this. 18 people said the following our volatile u. N. Fmr. What i think a lot of times happen is they would say i know someone who knows someone whose brother jim is present them on facebook. Thats not really a source. When youre basically defending, thats not somebody in the room. You have an event in the oval office or in a particular room and therell be four or five people cannot get a call we have six sources. There were six people there. Its hard to imagine the talk to people who talk to people. Weve all seen a game of telephone. If you do it among children, youll get the reason we teach the game is to show how the message will vary by the time it gets two or three people deep is the question is how reliable is that doors. Horrified people were in the room that didnt happen and they go yeah, i know you have four people actually cared going to go on the record but were not going to accept because we have two people who knew two people who follow them on twitter. You have to weigh that difference of who the sources are and i dont think thats giving us much play as the show appeared to is it a twoway street, the president will treat things like for instance that is being surveilled her with surveilled or president obama. We dont get the sources im not but yet the rather dramatic assertions. Again, theres a question about how this happens. We asked for an investigation through appropriate channels. A lot of that material is that a classified level. After the bomb was dropped. Essentially after the treat. The tree came first or the president. You understand not. How classified information is handled as a whole separate discussion. I think that weve seen and used in both bipartisan outrage on this. There is some level to which classified information is being shared with journalists and others who are not cleared and that presents a danger to our country. While journalists want to toil in the thing people want to read a sensational story, theres a reason its classified because it threatens the safety of the United States and their sources being protected. We should be applauding the leaks of classified information. The president s right is right to call this out as a major concern. People on both sides of the isle called this out. It is concerning one of classified information and sources being used to perpetuate a narrative. If you think about it, it ties their hands when you go to respond. Just because you claim you know something classified, you can then we cant fight back on it because it is classified because thats engaging in a conversation is a difficult spot. Not to belabor a point, but this is a city where a lot of these are classified they dont need to be classified. For decades theres been over classification in the city. Not an insignificant one. On matters of National Security when youre talking about sources and methods and the use of certain things for inappropriate purposes, that is not an over classification. President says hes going to continue to treat and i imagine that complicates your job somewhat. Thats the default narrative but also when you realize he has an ability for all the channels he has over 100 Million People he can reach out to. Some of the neatest frustration as he does have this direct line to the American People or he can communicate accomplishments, and push back to false narratives and false stories frustrate people. Another way to look at it as he dropped a stinkbomb essentially and 140 characters or less and then leaves and theres no sort of followup and no giveandtake. I think for a lot of people, especially outside of thing, they have yearned for an authentic voice that is not tried to script everything perfectly as a lot of politicians have done. Even if you disagree with policy, one of the things people give a higher mark for his keeping his word and be nothing but. And if they came to his father. I would argue if you look at her engagement with the president in terms of myself and him and other members of the staff, we are engaging outside groups and coalitions and individuals, unions, members of congress and an extremely robust way of so there is followup, there is a discussion not in a vacuum that its occurring. Less than a given manner of you in which he said that the u. S. Is not going to go into syria. Did you say that . One of the things hes also said he sees not going to telegraph his plans. He is not just telegraphed to assad and i said and how you reconcile that. By specific to the truth. One is that doesnt mean howre going to deal with crisis as a whole. If we have to deal with isis and was into syria thats one thing. Go in and occupying syria, the express purpose of regime change is something that the president has been very clear on throughout the campaign. I think is sort of extrapolate back, this is something he talked about well into the campaign the use of force and use of military. That shouldnt be a shocker. Thats something hes been talking about a while. So assad shouldnt take the comments are were not going into syria were not doing another airstrike. Absolutely not. 100 . The president said in the same interview that should they continue to use gas especially against children and babies that the president will keep all options on the table. Make a mistake about it, the president showed last thursday night that he will use decisive, justified action to right wrongs. Secretary of state chuck roads is in russia today in moscow. And that russia should live up to its obligations. Russia is an island. Its russia, north korea, syria and iran. That is not a group you want to be associated with that. Russia is the only non failed state. If you are russia you are isolating yourself by aligning with the sod and not calling out the actions that you and he specifically said he would not engage in. One of the consequences. I think we had a consequence. Supposed today vladimir putin, should this meeting occur and he says okay, i get it, no chemical weapons but i can help us odd with his barrel bombs and Everything Else because i like my base in syria and meanwhile he continues to and annihilate civilians and push refugees out of the country. I think first and foremost we have a shared interest in the stability of the region and defeating isis. Russia is in syria. I think we can all agree defeating isis is important. I think with respect to regime change, we cant possibly see a stable, peaceful syria with ashad in charge. We can have that discussion, i will let the secretary of state have that discussion, but i think we have projected our interests and concerns very clearly. They are toward the coast of north korea. The korean later north Korean Leader has had provocative words and missile test. Are we just waiting to see if he does something on the birthdate of his grandfather or what is the program . We need to get the World Community in agreement, particularly china who can play an important role. This is almost like russia with isis, but we have a shared interest with china of making sure we dont have a nuclear north korea. We do have a nuclear north korea. Have a Nuclear Weapon and 20000 Artillery Weapons on the border. Im not going to get into discussions about their nuclear ability. Its in our shared interest to not have the capability to fly and launch rockets with nuclear capability, and i think the president had very productive talks with president she last week and i think we need to continue to make sure the World Community stand strong with us, which they have to make sure that we all understand the threat that north korea poses. I dont pretend to have the answer to north korea, but that is the same thing we heard from president obama, president bush 43, president clinton, no one has been able to Deter North Korea and it keeps inching forward. Whats different now. I would go back to last thursday night. We had six plus years of the last administration drying red lines and not doing anything. I think with north korea, as i mention the president had productive talks with president from china and we will see where those stocks went. What can china do this is not a discussion that is one that you have an open setting. I believe that the president and a lot of the cabinet had productive talks with china. There is a lot of stuff that happened diplomatically to continue to isolate north korea and to undermine their ability to possess and launch Nuclear Capabilities that threaten us. We have historically had very little intelligence on whats going on. But, if china is the purse for north korea, if china were to set up money to it, i think they had no problem just starving his people. I think china plays an economic and political role of influence in north korea, but we will see. I think this president has clearly shown to the country in the world that there will be a change in how u. S. Interests are pursued and we will have to see how that shakes out. Tax reform. Are we going to get it this year. I know the president and a lot of members of Congress Want to do that. Why are they doing this now . Why cant they multitask . They are multitasking. Weve talked about this the last couple weeks. Weve met with the finance committee and leadership, its interesting how a couple weeks ago we were rushing too quickly and the other day on multiple occasions we talk about how her laying out a systematic plan to engage folks. Tax reform hasnt happened since 1986. Im not saying its easy. Im just asking where are we. We been talking about this. Ive probably been asked about this multiple times in the briefing and laid out where we are. Weve had internal discussions and were engaging with stakeholders and congress. We have gone 30 years without good tax reform. On the corporate side we have a big problem with our Corporate Tax rate to maintain and grow businesses. They are fleeing our country. You are seeing the progress on the regulatory front. He has made tremendous progress. He can do those by executive order. And he can. But this has to get up capitol hill in order to move. Absolutely but i think on the regulatory reform, i think it gets overlooked and whether its the automotive sector, the steel or coal and mining sector, we are seeing progress. People are coming back to the United States talking about investments they will make the cut i think his accomplishments and actions are creating a Better Business climate for them to be here the other pieces the tax piece. I am more critical of congress on this. Congress is the engine so we will be there by the end of the year . That is the goal. We have to make sure we give relief to middleclass americans. By the end of the year there will be a huge revenue shift one way or another. Do you expect it to be effective 2017 . Any idea. That will be part of the discussion. To get ahead of when that reform will go in place, whether its fiscal year 2017 or 18, that will be part of the discussion. Trump spoke about steve bannon last night and it appears there is some sort of feud going on in the white house, theres something between jerry fisher and steve bannon. Whats going on. I think a couple things. I think a lot of it is overblown, what you see in the media, he brought together a talented team of successful individuals whether its business, academics, government and theres a lot of opinions, but frankly its the same team that had a very successful campaign. I think sometimes we see that spill over into the public and thats unfortunate the cars there will be, on policy issues, a very spirited debate. I think thats healthy for the president that hes not getting a monolithic group of advice that says you should only do this. He gets a lot of opinions and ideas and policy shifts that help guide his ultimate decisionmaking. Thats a healthy thing. I think what we bring together is talented individuals. There are a lot of things being done to improve the government. There will be spirited debates. Does the media get in the way . Is this a distraction . We report about the feuds. There are important people in the white house and to top aides seemingly having disagreements. I think from a process standpoint, whether someone is getting along or not getting along, it doesnt make anyones life safer or better. To your question, the focus is on what are we doing, to make the country better to make it safer, to strengthen it. What are we doing on tax reform . Where is it, whos involved in the process. What are we doing to make our country more profitable. People are thinking am i doing okay, am i helping my kids, am i saving for the future. Is my job safe, am i getting a raise, can i contribute to 4o1k. Are my streets safe, or mike country safe. Those are the things that most americans are worried about. What am i going to do about health premiums, can i keep up, can i see a doctor. Those are the issues most americans are waking up and going back and forth in the white house. I understand there will be a little palace intrigue but i think the proportion ive seen of how it works is a little out of whack. Whats your wish list from the media. What do you want to change . We only have one minute 50 seconds. It doesnt, in all honesty, the media has a job to do. We have a very robust media both left and right leaning and i think as long as we have a healthy and robust media, im fine. I wish more people would focus on the policy and get it right. I think we want a media that takes her time and gets their stories right and doesnt worry about being first but worries about being right. How much do you like the job. I love it. That is probably one of the things people say all the time. I do believe its an honor to have this job. Its a privilege. If you dont believe it so, you shouldnt be here. Nobodys going to the dinner. The president s not going, the media is not going. I just dont think this is the appropriate year to go. Why . G, lets go back to the question before that. I dont think we should take it. Going to a dinner where they shoulsitaround and you pretend everything is fine is not an appropriate year to do this. I think they should have their dinner, and i know they put a lot of time into it and thats great, but i dont think sitting there and watching celebrities walked by is somehow an indication of how much you care about or respect the press or the First Amendment, i think they should have their dinner but i think we have a right to say this isnt appropriate to go and it sends wrong signal and if things get better we will attend next year. I just dont think this is the year to do it. Nice to see you sean. Sean spicer. [applause] this daylong discussion on the press and presidency here in washington d. C. Will continue to live at 10 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan. Greg bear with fox news will moderate a discussion with a panelist from cnn, Breitbart News and nbc. Molalla will address a joint session of the canadian parliament. We will cover it live at 1130 eastern. Coming up tonight on book tv on prime time, a look at feminism today. Author of free women, free men, gender, feminism. She talks about her book sex scandal. Rebecca solomon on the mother of all questions. Its book tv in prime time at eight eastern on cspan2. This weekend the city tour will explore the literary scene and history of Charlottesville Virginia. Saturday at noon on the tv. We visit the university of virginia to see their net on William Faulkner in the first writer in residence. We have a lot of wonderful artifacts from his time. Among other things, we have a typewriter he was issued by the university, even with the property stamp on the back. We have a jacket that he wore, as you can see, the jacket is torn up and ready, he likes to keep his close for a long time. He left this jacket hanging on his office when he went on his last trip to oxford mississippi when he passed away. We will travel to Thomas Jeffersons monticello. If you had visited monticello 20 years ago, you would have come up and just seen jeffersons beautiful neoclassical villa. What we wanted to do was change that. We wanted to restore the landscape of slavery because if you had come up this mountain top in jeffersons time, the first thing you would have seen would be enslaved people. There would have been no place on this mountaintop that slavery was not visible. We want to restore that, make that known to visitors who come here today. We will visit the Muller Center to learn about their first year project which explore challenges president s face their first year on the job. Lbj said no matter how big your majority is, you have one year before they, the Congress Stop thinking about you and starts thinking about themselves. They are all in reelection. In about january of your second year, after youve done your first year, all the members of congress are thinking about their midterm election. They are really cautious about taking any risk to help you get your mandate and your agenda through. Watch cspan city tour of Charlottesville Virginia saturday noon eastern on book tv and sunday afternoon at 2 00 p. M. On American History tv on cspan three, working with our cable affiliates and visiting cities across the country. Sunday night on afterwords, bill gertz with his book i wore which examines how modern warfare has evolved with new technologies. He is interviewed by the congresswoman from new york. Member of the House Committee on intelligence and emerging threats and capabilities. I wore is a look at what i feel is the new form of warfare thats emerging in the 21st century. I have covered National Security affairs for over 30 years, been all over the world covering these issues, and i think its a reflective the Information Age where we are looking at this new form of warfare and i define it as the technical cyber that we have seen so much of in terms of Cyber Attacks from the russians and chinese, as well as the content influence in which emerged the last president ial election of whats been called the cyber enabled influence operation. These two things are going to be the dominant form of warfare. Watch after words sunday night at nine eastern on cspan to book tv