ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Trump to carry on tweeting as president

Author
AAP,
Publish Date
Thu, 19 Jan 2017, 5:42AM
The president elect at Trump Tower in New York, January 13 (Getty Images)
The president elect at Trump Tower in New York, January 13 (Getty Images)

Trump to carry on tweeting as president

Author
AAP,
Publish Date
Thu, 19 Jan 2017, 5:42AM

US President-elect Donald Trump plans to select the media representatives who are given access to the presidential press briefing room, but will not move the room out of the White House.

Trump, whose election campaign was punctuated by a stream of Twitter messages, also said he plans to keep tweeting when he takes office on Friday.

"Look, I don't like tweeting. I have other things I could be doing. But I get very dishonest media, very dishonest press. And it's my only way that I can counteract," said the president-elect.

Trump often used Twitter during the campaign to communicate his views, including his sometimes scathing opinions of rivals.

Since winning the November election he has delivered a steady stream of tweets - often focused on countering critics.

He has had a contentious relationship with some prominent U.S. news organisations that he refers to derisively as the "mainstream media," banning some news outlets during the presidential campaign and publicly criticising individual reporters.

Trump's team had discussed moving news conferences out of the small West Wing briefing room to the Old Executive Office Building, which is part of the White House complex, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said Sunday on ABC.

"The press went crazy, so I said, 'Let's not move it.' But some people in the press will not be able to get in," Trump told Fox News.

"We have so many people that want to go in so we'll have to just have to pick the people to go into the room - I'm sure other people will be thrilled about that," he said.

"But we offered a much larger room because we need a much larger room and we offered to do that, but they went crazy."

"And they'll be begging for a much larger room very soon, you watch."

The current press room has about 49 seats, which are assigned by the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA).

Moving the briefing room could reduce access to White House officials, as the room is only steps from the Oval Office.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you