NBC News Chuck Todd backed President Donald Trump’s decision to skip the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and said politically “he won.”
“Oh I think he [Trump] was wise, just for him, his own self-esteem,” the Meet the Press host explained during his appearance Monday night on “Conan.” (RELATED: Chuck Todd: Bill O’Reilly Wasn’t A ‘Traditional Conservative’ Or A ‘Real Journalist’ [AUDIO])
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 03: “Meet The Press” moderator Chuck Todd speaks with host Tim Farley (not pictured) on SiriusXM’s Author Confidential at SiriusXM Radio on December 3, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
The NBC host reminded Conan O’Brian that the last time Trump attended the event was in 2011 when Barack Obama and comedian Seth Myers cracked jokes at his expense. (RELATED: Chuck Todd Isn’t Afraid To Blow The Whistle)
“I get why he skipped it,” Todd responded when asked about Trump’s choice to instead hold a rally in Pennsylvania with supporters. “He’s not good at self-deprecation. He does not know how to do that. If you don’t know how to do that, don’t do it.”
“He was smart not to do it,” he added. “And look at the split-screen. He’s there rallying with people in the heartland of Pennsylvania and there’s a bunch of us in black-tie. I mean look, politically he won the split screen.”