Trump frustrated with reduced press pool to cover events
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Former US President Donald Trump's aides had to turn down his request for "a pool of reporters," because he is no longer the president.
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Former President Donald Trump. Source: Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images.
Former President Donald Trump's aides and advisors said he's finding it difficult to accept his life as a private citizen, away from life at the White House, according to a new report by The Washington Post.
According to the Post, this was demonstrated when Trump wanted his team to call on a press pool — reporters who travel with presidents — for an event at Mar-a-Lago. Trump was then informed by advisors that this was no longer a possibility.
"We had to explain to him that he didn't have a group standing around waiting for him anymore," an unnamed former aide said.
Trump was frustrated after leaving office because of the reduced number of Secret Service personnel, no access to Air Force One, and little press coverage compared to when he was president, four unnamed advisors to Trump told the Post.
He has spent most of his post-presidency in isolation at Mar-a-Lago, playing golf six days a week and using dinner at the club as an opportunity to revel in the attention of admiring fans who applaud his entrances and exits from the dining room.
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Guests at his Palm Beach, Florida, and Bedminster, New Jersey, clubs, give him attention, an aide told the Post. "The appetite for attention hasn't waned, but that's where he gets it now," an unnamed Trump confidant told the Washington Post.
"The networks don't carry his rallies. He doesn't get interviews anymore. He can't stand under the wing of Air Force One and gaggle [with reporters] for an hour."
Trump is now seeking a second term in the White House. He announced his bid for president in 2024 on November 24, while facing mounting legal and political challenges.
