WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING ROCKED BY NEW MEDIA PRESENCE
In a significant shake-up at Friday’s White House press briefing, “Ruthless” podcast co-host John Ashbrook asked the first question of the day from a new media seat reserved for “independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators.” The announcement was made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who revealed that over 10,000 applications had been received for the new seats.
Ashbrook used his opportunity to ask if the legacy media is “out of touch” with the American people, referencing their criticism of President Trump’s deportations of illegal immigrants. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded, stating that the legacy media is “out of touch” and pointing to a New York Times poll showing 83% of Americans supported deportations of violent criminal illegal immigrants.
In an interview after the briefing, Ashbrook shed light on what it was like to be in the room, saying that the legacy reporters “rolled their eyes” and “smirked” when he walked in, which he felt was exactly what he was hoping for. Ashbrook praised the White House for embracing the new media, stating that it allows “we the people” to have a voice in the room.
Ashbrook also highlighted the importance of new media in this era, referencing Elon Musk’s declaration that “you are the media now.” He believed that the Ruthless Podcast and others like it have taken this phrase to heart and are leading the way in independent journalism. The White House’s decision to incorporate more voices in the briefing room is seen as a step forward in fulfilling President Trump’s promise to change Washington and giving more people a platform to participate in the democratic process.