The Trump White House has sought to reshape the press corps in its favor this year, and Monday showcased how well the effort has succeeded.

Veteran White House correspondents privately grumbled as a MAGA online personality dominated the Q&A during a photo op with President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump avoided any particularly tough lines of questioning or awkward exchanges with Zelensky. Instead, he was mostly served set-ups for his own talking points.

“This display, especially in front of foreign leaders, is so embarrassing,” a White House correspondent remarked to CNN on condition of anonymity. “Many of the questions aren’t designed to get answers, but to create another confrontation or make Trump look good. That’s not journalism.”

“High schoolers could do

See Full Page