Karoline Leavitt gives White House press briefing for an audience of one — with one storyline

CNN — Karoline Leavitt’s first White House press briefing reaffirmed a truism about the Trump White House: His aides perform for an “audience of one.” That pithy phrase, portraying President Donald Trump as the viewer-in-chief, was popularized when he first took office in 2017. When Spicer held briefings, Trump “watched constantly” and “had continual notes,” Poniewozik wrote, likening Trump to an “overinvolved network executive.” White House press secretary Sean Spicer gets a note from a staff member during the daily press briefing at the White House, Tuesday, June 6, 2017, in Washington. In another Trump-pleasing move, Leavitt also used the first briefing to level some critiques of what she called the “legacy media.” She said news outlets have pushed “lies” about Trump and his family and “we will call you out when we feel that your reporting is wrong.” Leavitt did not make major structural changes, but she did say that a prime seat in the briefing room, previously occupied by White House press staff, would become the “new media” seat. During Trump’s first term, Spicer announced “Skype seats” for reporters outside DC, and the press shop rolled TV screens into the briefing room to show video calls from virtual participants.