CNN's David Axelrod said Monday that it was somewhat “refreshing” to see President Trump assume the presidency. Questions from journalists On his first day in office.
“I also think, 'Did Biden do this?'” he said. “I think he wanted to contradict (former President) Biden by having this constant press conference,” Axelrod said.
CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper said it is rare to see something like this, referring to the president taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, just hours after he was sworn in.
“And there's a reason for that because a president's words can send armies to a crawl, send markets crashing, and have real consequences,” Axelrod said. “I think it's refreshing for presidents to be — I mean, I was among those who criticized President Biden's lack of exposure. And I think it's good for presidents to be exposed. They'd better tell the truth when they speak,” he added, “re-doing that.”
Trump pledges a new era of national success, says America's decline is over in his inaugural speech
David Axelrod said Monday that it was refreshing to see President Trump speaking with reporters. (Screenshot/CNN)
Axelrod also criticized Trump for this Amnesty for rioters on January 6 One of his first acts was to criticize the president for calling them “hostages.”
He added: “These are people who have either admitted or been convicted of crimes related to the raid on the Capitol to attempt to stop the legal process of certifying the US election.” “And the only defense I can think of for this action today is that these people went there because the president of the United States told them a vile lie that the election had been stolen and that something inappropriate was happening.”
Sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump signed the release of more than 1,500 accused of crimes stemming from the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The order requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to act immediately upon receiving the pardon.
Trump said at an event with his supporters in Washington: “Tonight I will sign an amnesty for the J6 hostages to get them out.”
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President Donald Trump arrives before his inauguration at the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Melina Mara-Pool/Getty Images)
CNN's Kaitlan Collins noted later in the debate that Trump spoke to the press for 45 minutes.
During his back and forth with reporters, Trump discovered the message Biden left him, which is a tradition for outgoing presidents.
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Fox News' Diana Stancy and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
