[COMMENTARY] White House Press Room Goes Into Lockdown On Live TV

Just as he was beginning his Monday press briefing, Donald Trump’s Secret Service detail suddenly rushed him off the podium and to a secure location. The White House Briefing Room was under lockdown for several minutes amid great confusion from the press, all of which was broadcast live on MSNBC.

Trump, looking shaken, returned to the briefing room and announced that a shooting had taken place outside the walls of the White House, and an unnamed suspect had been shot by Secret Service, then taken to a local hospital for treatment. He rambled for a few moments about the great work of the Secret Service, sidestepping questions from reporters saying he didn’t have any details. “The world is a dangerous place,” he shrugged, then tried to return the briefing to his usual rants about the “China Virus”.

 

While a briefing regarding the shooting incident is allegedly forthcoming, Trump alleged he saw Supreme Court Justice John Roberts “outside the White House” and Roberts also “heard the gunshots”. Media had not verified whether or not Roberts was indeed near the White House or was aware of any incident at press time.

Trump resumed the briefing with a litany of misinformation regarding the Coronavirus and the economy, once again promising a vaccine by the end of the year, which he referred to as a “therapeutic resolvement” (which is not a real word).

Trump listlessly asked for questions but then deflected to talking about his staff when it came to the unemployment benefits package he signed on Saturday, which cuts the weekly payment from $600 to $400. He also repeated the lies about children not dying from COVID19 and pushed for the schools to reopen.

Journalists need to stop asking him what he thinks and start asking him what he knows.