President Trump took the media by surprise with an impromptu Q&A session right in the Oval Office as he signed a series of executive orders and issued pardons and commutations related to the January 6 incident. The engaging session lasted approximately 45 minutes, during which Trump responded to questions from reporters, contrasting sharply with the last four years where the media often accused them of masking the alleged cognitive issues of President Joe Biden.
Will Scharf, a key figure in Trump’s legal battles the previous year and currently serving as the White House staff secretary, was instrumental during the session. Scharf meticulously presented binders containing each executive order and pardon, providing clarity and context to both Trump and the gathered reporters.
Highlighting this contrast, Matt Viser from The Washington Post noted, “President Trump sits and takes question after question from reporters in the Oval Office, something that almost never happened with President Biden.” This comparison underscores the dynamic change in the administration’s openness and engagement with the media.
Mike Glenn from The Washington Times echoed this sentiment, pointing out the striking difference in operation style, “To see President Trump just sitting there chatting with reporters while signing a stack of Executive Orders is pretty striking when compared to how Biden operated over the last four years.”
Adding more to the evening’s intrigue, Marc Caputo from Axios captured a candid moment, “Amazing TV just now, reporter just asked Trump if Biden had written him a letter and Trump opened a Resolute Desk drawer and found it. He almost opened it and read it in front of everyone but opted not to.” This moment added a touch of personal insight into the transition process between the two administrations.
Kellie Meyer from NewsNation was captivated by the session’s spontaneity, “President Trump’s first impromptu press conference and he took A LOT of questions as he signed a slew of executive orders in the Oval Office. He just got back into the White House moments before.”
A live video featured Fox News reporter Peter Doocy inquiring if Biden had left the traditional outgoing letter for Trump, with a simple inscription addressed to “47”.
Throughout the session, President Trump addressed various questions spanning the J6 pardons, family pardons involving the Bidens, critical foreign policy issues, and topics concerning influential figures like Elon Musk and cryptocurrencies like DOGE. This was all conducted as he continued to sign vital documents, presenting a steadfast image of leadership.
President Trump finds letter from President Biden left for him in the Resolute desk in the Oval Office. pic.twitter.com/VTEHM0fT8c
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 21, 2025
Amid the backdrop of accusations involving media bias and government transparency, Trump’s openness to engage reflects a commitment to change and take a strong stance against corruption.