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After being booted off Twitter, Trump is reluctant to do in-person briefings because he rarely knows the answers to questions, The New York Times reported

Jan 11, 2021, 19:52 IST
Business Insider
President Donald Trump in November 2020.Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
  • President Donald Trump has been reluctant to appear on TV or hold press briefings since his Twitter account was removed, and one reason may be a concern over facing tough questioning.
  • An advisor told The New York Times that Trump didn't like being asked questions to which he didn't know the answer.
  • Trump was barred from Twitter last week after his supporters stormed the US Capitol.
  • He has not spoken with the press in the White House or appeared on TV since.
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President Donald Trump has been reluctant to appear on TV or hold in-person press briefings since his Twitter account was taken away, and it could be at least in part because he often doesn't know the answers to questions.

The New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reported that Trump spent the weekend, the first since he was barred from the platform, "cycling through fury and acceptance" at his account being removed after his supporters stormed the US Capitol.

The Times described Trump's extensive history marketing himself on TV, including his pre-presidency role as the star of "The Apprentice."

But it also noted that, as his presidency began, Trump pivoted to Twitter for most of his public communication rather than TV appearances, interviews, or press briefings - and he has not yet turned to those alternative communication strategies even with Twitter no longer an option.

One Trump advisor told The Times that Trump "did not like most aspects of his job, and that included being asked questions for which he did not know the answers."

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The Times said Trump's appearances outside Twitter often saw Trump's message filtered: Many news outlets that interviewed Trump asked tougher questions as his presidency progressed, and many outlets stopped airing his speeches in full or without live fact-checking of his claims.

Trump is due to visit the US-Mexico border on Tuesday, where he plans to give an update on his border wall.

The Times reported that this kind of event, with a strong visual, would be designed with TV coverage in mind.

Twitter permanently removed Trump from its platform on Friday, saying: "After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence."

A pro-Trump mob broke into the US Capitol on Wednesday after Trump addressed his supporters and told them to march on the building.

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The ensuing riot resulted in lawmakers being evacuated from a joint session of Congress to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory over Trump.

At least five people, including a police officer, died in direct connection to the unrest, while another officer died days later in an apparent suicide.

The Times reported that Trump spent the weekend convinced that his removal from Twitter would embolden his supporters.

A senior administration official previously told Politico that Trump went "ballistic" after his account was removed.

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