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Trump’s Presidency: More Complicated than Any Other, Says Reporter


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Covering this White House and this President is a 24 hour job, says Gregory Korte, award-winning Washington correspondent for USA Today.
He says that this President is more complicated in many ways from any other President in history. In part, Korte claims, because most traditional ways of handling issues and procedures are turned on their head.
This President often eschews the analytical approach to problem solving but instead governs “from his gut.” He often bypasses staff to make decisions based upon instinct.
Korte adds that we should not be surprised since President Trump is exactly the same person and personality as candidate Trump. However, he notes that as President, despite the turmoil and rancor, that Trump is slowly, one by one, keeping his campaign promises.
However, Korte expresses some concern that our news coverage of the President is giving the average person news overload. Instead of concentrating on issues, news coverage too often is focused on Trump as the individual.
He notes that in the first 100 days of the Trump presidency that 43 percent of the news coverage focused on Trump himself and not on his agenda.
Korte posits that the fixation on Trump the man often takes up the space that the ordinary person would use to examine issues and concerns. Trump, himself, has become the “all-encompassing story.” This gives Korte some concern.
We should note that this interview was recorded in April 2018 but it is still relevant today – perhaps even more so.
In 2017, Korte was awarded the Gerald R. Ford Foundation Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency. He was a nominee in 2014. He also has acted as a visiting professional teaching at the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University – his alma mater.