CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter confronted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about President Donald Trump making his first appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner since becoming commander-in-chief, considering Trump routinely “tries to demonize the press,” Stelter said.

Stelter asked Leavitt about it on the red carpet on Saturday evening, about 90 minutes before the event starts.

“So I know you say he’s very accessible, but so often he tries to demonize the press,” Stelter said. “Is he coming here tonight admitting that the free press is an important part of the country and that actually he’s conceding that by showing up for the first time?”

“Well, of course he believes that. That’s why he talks to journalists personally. Half of this room will have his personal phone number and have spoken to him,” Leavitt said, while chuckling a bit. “He takes their calls, he answers their questions, and he tussles back and forth, too. I think he likes to hold people accountable. You’ll see a mix of both of that tonight. It’s going to be great. It will be fun, and we’re happy to be here.”

Stelter asked the question right after Leavitt said Trump was “definitely the most accessible president we’ve ever had.”

Leavitt also told him to expect some comedy and “some jabs” to be thrown.

Stelter’s quick interview with Leavitt comes as the dinner has been highly anticipated in media circles.

Trump — as most people who have followed his political career know — has a complex and often combative relationship with the mainstream press.

The president routinely slams outlets for peddling what he deems to be “fake news” and has sued a number of them, including ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the BBC.

ABC News notably paid Trump $15 million last year after anchor George Stephanopoulos said the president was found “liable for rape”. In fact, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse in civil court, which carries a different definition in New York. Trump’s $10 billion defamation case against the WSJ was recently thrown out, as was his case against the Times, while his case against the BBC is still ongoing.

And while Trump routinely squabbles with media, he also seems to love being the dominant news figure of the last decade.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins — whom Trump has publicly insulted — marveled last year at how “accessible” Trump was compared to former President Joe Biden. 

“Sometimes presidents are press averse; Trump embraced the media,” Collins said. “He did it for decades as like this New York mogul, and so he just had a different approach to the press, and always has.”

And as Leavitt alluded to, Trump’s phone number is reportedly one of the easiest for reporters in Washington, D.C. to find. That has been reinforced lately, with Trump seemingly talking to every major outlet about the Iran war.

Trump did not attend the WHC Dinner during his first term, and he was not there last year as well.

But he famously attended when President Barack Obama was in office in 2011, where Obama skewered Trump for his claims about Obama’s birth certificate being bogus and sardonically mocked him for hosting “The Apprentice.” Many have speculated those shots spurred Trump to make a real push for the White House.

It’ll be worth seeing what verbal punches Trump throws on Saturday night – and which ones he receives. The event starts at 8:00 p.m. ET.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!