In order to get President Donald Trump to read through his daily briefing “book,” aides have bent over backwards to make the documents in the binder consumable for Trump, Axios reported.
The “book” comes in different forms for Trump: occasionally in the form of a notebook, a paper-clipped pile of documents or several folders. Typically the binder is stuffed with schedules, upcoming events, briefing and policy papers.
For Trump, his communications staff also includes positive news clippings — even pictures of cable news chyrons — to “contrast the bad news he may be seeing on cable news,” in Axios’ words.
Known for demanding short and concise briefings — he reportedly ousted his former national security adviser H.R. McMaster because he didn’t like the way he conducted briefings and thought he was condescending — aides write out the information he needs to know in the form of bullet points or graphics.
“The bullets are so pithy that one source said they’re ‘basically slogans,’” Axios reported.
Trump still reads print newspapers, starting with the New York Post, then the New York Times and the Washington Post. He will occasionally read the Wall Street Journal — he likes their editorials — and the Financial Times.
Trump usually reads the briefing binder during his morning “executive time,” which Chief of Staff John Kelly implemented because Trump was complaining that his schedule was too full.
Is it also written in crayon?
Man, that’s what I was going to ask!
So what is next. Aides act things out in “Trump Charades” where one staffer plays Trump and then give clues per syllables of words in a briefing sentence? Wouldn’t work unless “Trump” (acted out) has a starring role.
He does not read the opinion and editorial page of the FT. No way. Not if he’s looking for back pats.
I can see the “bullet points”:
“That FoxNews woman with the big cans really, really likes you, Mr. President!”
And Axios, a site whose writing makes Politco look like Tolstoy, actually said:
“Trump still reads print newspapers, starting with the New York Post, then the New York Times and the Washington Post. He will occasionally read the Wall Street Journal — he likes their editorials — and the Financial Times.”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Hey, meth smokers Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei over at Axios: unless the reading material contains the words “Dick”, “Jane”, “see”, and “run”, Trump avoids it.