Bill Bennett, secretary of education under Ronald Reagan, joined “Fox and Friends” Friday morning to give his take on President Trump’s solo press conference, calling it “a Tour de Force by the President.”
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Bennett expressed pleasant surprise at Trump’s having learned to go on offense against the media, in contrast to some of his GOP predecessors. “He was on offense and the press was on defense,” he said of the president. “And that is very unusual, I just want to emphasize that point. We’re used to seeing Republican presidents being treated like piñatas by the press.”
The media, according to Bennett, is hardly prepared from the new style of business in Washington. “They can’t stand it,” he said, “I mean they are just not ready to accept this and take this. They want to be loved, they want to be respected, but, most of all, a lot of them want to be feared.”
Bennett also gave a vote of confidence to the president’s advisers, dismissing the suggestion a major change was in order. “I have a lot of respect for the team,” he said. “I think Reince is great. I think Steve Bannon is very good. I know he’s very controversial, but if the mainstream media is after him, he’s probably good.”