Welcome to Friday’s edition of Washington Secrets, your guide to power and politics in the nation’s capital. As usual, we review the president’s week with the help of our political strategists.That was a week of two halves for Donald Trump. He was barely spotted last weekend, and from Monday to Wednesday, his daily public schedule was composed entirely of private events, policy meetings, executive time, and dinners.It made for seven straight days without a chance for the White House press corps to lob questions his way.
Then, just as headlines and social media posts began asking what was going on and why the president had disappeared behind White House walls, it all changed. The 20 or so members of the press pool were summoned to the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon for an executive order signing ceremony.
The president spoke to reporters for 38 minutes, answering questions about whether his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund had been closed or paused — “I’d have to ask the lawyers” — the status of the stalled memorandum of understanding with Iran — “In theory they’re pretty close to signing a paper — and found time to attack CNN’s Kaitlan Collins — “I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes.”
