President Trump gave the media extraordinary access into a bipartisan meeting on immigration.
Trump invited reporters into the meeting for almost an hour to observe as he mediated negotiations between Republican and Democratic members of Congress.
“I feel having the Democrats in with us is absolutely vital because it should be a bipartisan bill. It should be a bill of love. Truly. It should be a bill of love,” Trump said. “But it also has to be a bill where we’re able to secure our border. Drugs are pouring into our country at a record pace. A lot of people coming in that we can’t have.”
Video from the meeting shows the president playing a leading role in overseeing the meeting, striking a balance between cracking jokes and urging Congress to come together for a bipartisan solution on DACA and border security.
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“I haven’t seen us get this close and having this discussion in quite a few years,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. “I think we can make this happen. We all know it, we’ve done it before.”
Trump’s move to bring the media into the immigration negotiations earned him widespread praise from reporters.
“I don’t remember when a White House has allowed TV cameras in such a meeting,” said CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
Can anyone recall Barack Obama or George Bush ever having a meeting like this and allowing the press to film it from beginning to end? This is remarkable.
— David Martosko (@dmartosko) January 9, 2018
This open press bipartisan meeting in the cabinet room is how you show not tell how you’ve got a handle on things. Fascinating.
— Dana Perino (@DanaPerino) January 9, 2018
Fox News’ chief White House correspondent John Roberts called Trump’s invitation to the media “an extraordinary play. He allows the press pool to attend the ENTIRE immigration meeting with GOP and Dems so the public can see how the sausage is made.”