President Donald Trump unexpectedly joined C-SPAN by telephone Monday evening, adding to a series of unscheduled media appearances following Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections. His eight-minute conversation came during the first broadcast of "Washington Journal Primetime," hosted by Mimi Geerges.
Geerges alerted viewers that a call appeared to be coming from the White House before Trump joined the program. The president offered congratulations on the show's debut and then answered questions about immigration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the war in Iran. Asked about his own C-SPAN viewing habits, Trump said he watches audience calls for a sense of public opinion.
The television call followed a separate surprise appearance earlier Monday, when Trump arrived in the White House briefing room with UFC CEO Dana White. According to Reuters, reporters received such short notice that aides had no time to put the presidential seal on the podium before the appearance.
A White House pool report said Trump had not appeared in the briefing room for 198 days. With the press secretary position unfilled, he joked about giving the role to White, who turned down the suggestion. Trump described himself as having "a very bad press day" while raising the possibility of the UFC chief becoming his next press secretary.
Monday's appearances came after Trump unexpectedly brought reporters to the construction site of his White House ballroom last Wednesday. That visit, held a day after Republicans sustained substantial election losses, was his first public event following the vote. He devoted more than 20 minutes to construction and renovation work at the White House.
During that discussion, Trump addressed features including the ballroom's Corinthian columns, its marble flooring and the helipad. He moved on to the election outcome while answering reporters' questions. Asked whether he regretted the way his campaign had concluded, he separated himself from his party's losses, saying: "If I were on the ballot, we would have won."
Democrats captured both the House and the Senate in the Nov. 3 elections. The result represented a major political setback for Trump and will produce divided government when the incoming Congress begins work in January.
Calling broadcasters directly has long been part of Trump's approach to the media. During his first term, he made live telephone appearances on Fox News shows, including "Fox & Friends." CBS News previously reported that he personally organized one television appearance. The Associated Press has also documented his practice of calling journalists on their cellphones to suggest stories and respond to coverage as it airs.
