News conferences in the White House press briefing room are usually listed on the official schedule, released the night before.
asserted
conferences → list → schedule
So when a press wrangler appeared at 4.35pm and shouted that there would be a surprise briefing by the president, everyone scrambled.
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everyone → appear → president
Two minutes later, in he walked, flanked by none other than Ultimate Fighting Championship president and chief executive Dana White.
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he → walk → White
In retrospect, one might have predicted this.
uncertain
one → predict → this
White had announced he was going to meet Trump on Monday, after the president publicly (but facetiously) offered him the job of White House press secretary.
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president → announce → secretary
And all of a sudden, there he was – standing behind the briefing room podium.
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he → stand → podium
Eagle eyes noticed that the news conference was so spontaneous that staffers didn’t have time to attach the presidential seal to the podium.
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staffers → notice → podium
Some live streams missed the start of the president’s remarks.
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streams → miss → remarks
A presidential news conference would ordinarily have the room packed so full that you can barely find a spot to stand.
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you → have → spot
This masthead rushed over from the office, about a 10-minute walk away, and managed to catch most of the second half of the half-hour show.
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masthead → rush → show
After Trump gave a short rundown of the latest on Iran – which bore a close resemblance to his past eight months of obfuscations on ending the war – he invited White to the microphone.
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he → give → microphone
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” the UFC boss began.
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boss → want → this
“Who wants the first question?”
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Who → want → question
He hastened to add that he harboured zero political aspirations, and that the past 24 hours of his life had been “insane”.
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hours → hasten → life
A reporter then asked White who would win in a UFC cage fight between Trump and former president Joe Biden.
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who → ask → Trump
White said Trump was “the toughest, most resilient human being that I have ever met in my entire life”.
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I → say → life
Another inquired about whether the president should posthumously pardon baseball player and manager Pete Rose for his tax fraud convictions.
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president → inquire → convictions
White felt it would be fair to do so, and Trump agreed.
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Trump → feel → ?
The stunt made for one of the more surreal moments in the press briefing room over the past two years – though undeniably, as Trump said, they were really just having “a little fun”.
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they → make → fun
Trump, in his revealing CBS 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, and in his jocularity with White, shows he can still be the charming showman when he wants to be; when he’s not consumed by anger or spite or conspiracy.
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he → show → anger
For others, though, it will affirm that as the sun begins to set on the Trump presidency, the whole thing has become a bit of a joke.
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thing → affirm → joke
Indeed, there has not really been a permanent White House press secretary since Karoline Leavitt went on maternity leave in April.
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Leavitt → go → April
She returned for a few weeks before quitting, and there has been no rush to replace her – save for the disastrous five-day tenure of commentator Katie Zacharia last month.
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She → return → Zacharia
Trump affirmed that he was kidding when he offered White the job, which seems obvious.
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which → affirm → job
But it can be hard to tell.
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it → tell → ?
In this White House – especially after the midterm debacle – anything could happen.
uncertain
anything → happen → debacle
Just to be sure, reporters checked again with White that he was not taking the gig.
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he → check → gig
“Thank you for the offer – I do not want to be in politics,” he confirmed.
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he → thank → politics
“I am devastated to hear this,” Trump said as they shook hands.
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they → devastate → hands
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.
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what → get → world
The Aporia
