So when I cover the president, I try to remember two things: First, if you don't ask, you don't find out; and second, the questions don't do the damage. Only the answers do.
Presidential coverage used to be a very serious endeavor.
In the beginning, all of us got 'women type' stories. Like covering the first lady instead of the president.
Press passes can't be that hard to come by if the White House allows that old Arab Helen Thomas to sit within yards of the President.
I believe in a free and open press; people have to cover the presidency, respect the office and its current occupant. And we need it to be a two-way street.
I certainly don't think that it's the job of any journalist to make the presidency work.
My point is Trump is Trump. He's the same guy wherever he is. But the reporting on him on Middle East trip is nowhere near like the reporting on Trump when he's in Washington. There aren't any leaks. For example, we haven't yet seen a story quoting unnamed sources in the Saudi government saying that the king was profoundly embarrassed when Trump asked if there was a McDonald's nearby.
I've covered the White House and been yelled at by presidents.
