The latest clash between President Donald Trump and the press gave Jon Stewart plenty to work with on Monday night. The Daily Show host offered a fairly simple solution for a president who wants better coverage.
President Trump announced Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of producing "fake news." However, the ban seemed to immediately backfire as other outlets stood with the banned organizations and did not cover the president's White House event on Monday.
Jon Stewart believes there is a fairly simple way for the president to get the kind of press he apparently wants. During Monday night's episode ofThe Daily Show, Stewart addressed Trump's new attack on the press and suggested that the president consider a different strategy.
“Have you tried presidenting better?” Stewart asked. “You could ban the press, or you could be a better f***ing president,” he continued. “I mean, give the press something to work with.”
Of course, the biggest story remains the war in Iran and how the lengthy ordeal has affected gas prices in the U.S. Press coverage has not been positive, but that stems from how unpopular the war is among Americans and the rising costs at the pump.
Stewart had some sarcastic advice for how President Trump and his administration could spin the story to get more glowing news coverage. “Oh, here’s a positive story: I never thought my car could take $140 worth of gas in such a small tank. I had no idea,” the late-night host joked.
The president has defended his decision by saying he does not receive fair coverage and argued that news organizations should not be able to report what he considers false stories. Legal experts and other commentators have questioned whether the administration can restrict White House access based on disagreement with an outlet's reporting. For some, it's another example of government censorship going too far, similar to the FCC's current battle with Disney and ABC.
But for Jon Stewart, things aren't so complicated. “[Trump] gives no f***s. He doesn’t even respect us enough to pretend he’s bound by our Constitution,” the comedian said.
Stewart's joke was ultimately that President Trump cannot solve unfavorable coverage simply by removing journalists he dislikes. If the president wants more favorable stories, the comedian's answer is to provide journalists with more favorable developments to report.
As simple as that advice may be, nobody expects the Trump administration to change course on Iran overnight. But Stewart's suggestion may not matter if the president decides that being ignored is even worse than "fake news."
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