Even Democrats have to admit to the stunning level of access offered by the Trump administration, Vice President JD Vance said during a press conference on Thursday, where he gave the first question to Breitbart News’s White House correspondent Nick Gilbertson.
Thursday’s press conference marked the first since the formal departure of former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Gilbertson noted her legacy – in conjunction with the Trump White House – of bringing more voices into the fold.
Vance described Leavitt as an “amazing person” and colleague, adding she was an “amazing part of the very cohesive team that we had working here in the West Wing.”
“Just an amazing person. She texted me this morning and wished me good luck because obviously going up against all of you is a very, very dangerous business. But she’s gonna do great in whatever she does next, and we’re very grateful to her,” Vance sad. “So Karoline, if you’re watching, which hopefully you’re not, but if you’re watching, thank you for your service, thank you for your friendship, and thanks for doing a great job. And yes, one of her legacies, one of her many legacies, I would say, is that she opened up this room to non-legacy media.”
Vance acknowledged that Democrats in the establishment media traditionally take up most of the press briefing room but used that as an example of the radical transparency the Trump administration has tried to provide, particularly during the president’s second term.
“For too long, this room and I think this city have tried to lock out non-legacy media. They’ve seen it as a threat to themselves, and we actually think that it’s an amazing way to democratize access to information,” he said, asserting that even Democrats cannot deny what has happened.
“And I do think — you know, not to not to brag on my boss too much, but I do think the president has set us about to be the most transparent administration in history, and we have done that with flying colors. If you just look back to the last administration, I mean, even the Democrats in the room — and I know you guys, if you’re being honest, most of you are Democrats — you would have to admit that the level of access, the level of access to the President of the United States, the Vice President, the senior team here, it’s just completely off the charts,” Vance said.
“Now, why does the President do that? He doesn’t do it just because, you know, he wants to, or it’s fun. I think he definitely has a little bit of fun with it. He does it because he believes that part of governing a constitutional republic is to make yourselves accessible to the American people. So we do that,” he added.
