Sarah Sanders has gone into hiding as the shutdown ravages America.
The Trump administration has gone a record-breaking 34 days without an on-camera press briefing, avoiding questions on key issues affecting millions of Americans, particularly Trump's decision to shut down the federal government.
There has not been a briefing from White House press secretary Sarah Sanders since December 18, 2018, the longest lapse in accountability since the briefings were first televised. The UCSB Presidency Project told ABC news "the length of time between briefings is longer than any of the preceding 13 press secretaries."
Trump defended Sanders in a tweet, writing, "The reason Sarah Sanders does not go to the 'podium' much anymore is that the press covers her so rudely & inaccurately, in particular certain members of the press. I told her not to bother, the word gets out anyway! Most will never cover us fairly & hence, the term, Fake News!"
(Trump uses the term "fake news" to refer to the reporters and stories that uncover the truth about his personal crimes and corruption.)
Since the December briefing — which largely consisted of Sanders attacking the FBI — the federal government was shut down by Trump. It is now the longest shutdown in American history, and it continues because Trump insists the country should waste tax dollars on an unnecessary and racist border wall.
While Sanders and the White House press operation has been hiding out, they have been giving out interviews to Fox News, the administration's quasi-official propaganda network. While real journalists are more likely to give the Trump team serious questions about the lives Trump is hurting with the shutdown, on Fox the goal is to amplify Trump's message. It isn't journalism.
The decision to go quiet and hunker down as Trump loses the fight over the shutdown is now part of the playbook. Instead of facing accountability before the press, they hide. It's the Trump way.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
