After more than a month of ducking reporters and communicating almost exclusively through his Twitter account, President Donald Trump is finally ready to give an interview. Just don’t expect any hard-hitting questions.
Fox News announced Wednesday that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will give an exclusive interview with “Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt. It will be conducted Thursday at the White House, and will air Friday morning on Fox.
By then, it will have been 41 days since the public has seen Trump give an interview, by far the longest stretch of his presidency. His last interview came on May 13 with another Fox News host, Judge Jeanine Pirro.
Over that same span, as questions related to the Russia investigation have mounted, the White House has actively marginalized the daily press briefing, which often runs for less than 15 minutes and frequently takes place off-camera.
During official appearances and announcements as of late, Trump typically ignores reporters as they shout questions to him.
But Trump won’t exactly be venturing into the lion’s den this week. Between “Fox & Friends” and Pirro’s weekend program, it might be a toss-up in identifying the more hospitable venue for the President. Both have been vehement defenders of the administration, and the White House has rewarded each program with access and interviews not afforded to most other outlets.
But “Fox & Friends” clearly commands the President’s attention more than any other program. Trump has been known to promote and praise the morning show on Twitter while it’s broadcasting live.
“Great reporting by @foxandfriends and so many others,” he tweeted earlier this month.
Often times, he appears to quote what he hears on “Fox & Friends” verbatim.
During a weekend edition of the show earlier this month, Trump echoed a guest who, in responding to a terror attack in London that left seven people dead, said that Britain needs to “stop being politically correct.”
Less than an hour later, Trump tweeted virtually the same sentiment.
