Members of the White House press pool had a mini-meltdown when the president left them behind after the National Christmas Tree Lighting.
The protective press pool apparently had “no explanation” for why President Donald Trump returned to the White House without them following the holiday ceremony on Wednesday.
President Trump and First Lady Melania continue a 96-year tradition by lighting the National Christmas Tree in the park behind the White House. pic.twitter.com/8rzsHjF8cS
— Kyle Morris (@RealKyleMorris) November 28, 2018
The reporters, who are assigned to remain with the president and document his activities, found the incident newsworthy and protested on Twitter.
“The White House abandoned the press pool at the Christmas tree lighting. Trump is allegedly back at the White House,” Zeke Miller of the Associated Press complained.
The White House abandoned the press pool at the Christmas tree lighting. Trump is allegedly back at the White House.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) November 28, 2018
The protective press pool exists to be in close proximity to the president in the event of an emergency and to document his movements for history. Can do neither at the moment. https://t.co/eXXKc8BQox
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) November 28, 2018
McClatchy’s Anita Kumar joined the chorus.
The entire point of the protective pool is to be with POTUS https://t.co/O9atxq7JdH
— Anita Kumar (@anitakumar01) November 28, 2018
Steve Herman of Voice of America admitted “something went amiss.”
The @WhiteHouse staff works in concert with @SecretService to ensure the pool is always in the @POTUS motorcade. Poolers serve as the eyes and ears for the rest of the media. Usually it goes without a hitch, but something went amiss this evening and we’ve had no explanation.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 29, 2018
It seems perhaps the press pool was not ready to leave when Trump did and got left behind.
Protective press pool was left behind at Ellipse as @POTUS motorcade returned to @WhiteHouse. pic.twitter.com/mbeQ8ZqeS1
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 28, 2018
Side Note: When we were ready to leave the Ellipse, the Press Pool Vans were not loaded, so… (get out your tiny violins) We left them behind.
— POTUS_Schedule ?? (@POTUS_Schedule) November 28, 2018
Herman insisted the reporters could not simply “walk back.”
Those who suggested we walk back are missing the point. And, yes, we did ask to walk back but could not as we were still considered as being in the @SecretService ‘bubble.’
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 29, 2018
It’s only a three minute drive back to the @WhiteHouse but to leave the 13-person press pool behind is unprecedented during the @realDonaldTrump administration.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 28, 2018
And they continued to whine about the wait, and the inability to do what they are supposed to be doing.
We have been told POTUS is back at the White House but technically we don’t know that because we were not with him and did not seem him.
— Anita Kumar (@anitakumar01) November 29, 2018
Obviously this is not about our comfort, but I will note that there is a hypothermia alert in Washington tonight and the pool had already been sitting outside for well over an hour. https://t.co/vHKe4z5duF
— Anita Kumar (@anitakumar01) November 29, 2018
president’s motorcade left the press at the christmas tree lighting. white house aides refusing to explain what happened.
— Justin Sink (@justinsink) November 28, 2018
(we’re still here and the hypothermia alert is still in effect. no idea where the president is)
— Justin Sink (@justinsink) November 28, 2018
Yes, we are huddled under a blanket. https://t.co/C76Q8h25AM
— Anita Kumar (@anitakumar01) November 28, 2018
Olivier Knox, the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, looked into what happened and concluded it was simply due to a “logistical glitch.”
I have looked into what happened. I’ve concluded that this was just a logistical glitch. It happens. As you were. https://t.co/JdOePd8GLT
— Olivier Knox (@OKnox) November 29, 2018
All the drama did prompt a bit of trolling as it seems the press pool had “an excruciating wait.”
The Press Pool, after an excruciating wait of 9 minutes (and a 4-minute van ride), got back to the #Whitehouse at 18:50:14.
— POTUS_Schedule ?? (@POTUS_Schedule) November 29, 2018
I hope you have your tiny violins out.
The reporter titled his picture “your abandoned pool” pic.twitter.com/MA8LXLcLT3
— POTUS_Schedule ?? (@POTUS_Schedule) November 29, 2018
No official White House explanation was given but the reporters continued their discussion on Twitter, noting that this is not the first time they have been left behind by the president.
The last time something like this apparently happened was in 2012 and it was a @BarackObama motorcade: https://t.co/ZWh7UYxY9x
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 29, 2018
Trump left behind the group of journalists when he was president-elect as well, back in November 2016 when he went out to dinner, and again in December 2016 in order to play golf.
The reporters eventually did make it back to the White House.
after 15 minutes held at the site of the christmas tree lighting with no explanation of why the motorcade left without us, we’re back at the white house and they’ve called a lid, meaning we won’t see the president again today.
— Justin Sink (@justinsink) November 28, 2018
Pool has been returned to the White House where there is now a travel/photo lid.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) November 28, 2018
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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