To:
Jackson, Ryan[jackson.ryan@epa.gov]
From: Hadas Gold - POLITICO Media
Sent: Tue 8/1/2017 9:45:08 AM
Subject: Morning Media: Kelly's military approach to the media - Scaramucci out - Has Drudge soured
on Trump?
By Hadas Gold | 08/01/2017 05:43 AM EDT
With Alex Weprin
THE ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI SHOW IS OVER after just ten days It was a brief, stunning ride, with his ultimate ouster the result "of the very changes he promised to bring to the West Wing," as my colleagues wrote . Would this have happened without The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza publishing his now-infamous conversation with Scaramucci? Maybe - maybe not. Theories abound as to why Scaramucci was so worked up about the attendees of a dinner being leaked, but Scaramucci had said he was adamant about getting all the leakers out of the White House. If it wasn't going to be Lizza, at some point it likely would've been someone else. Consider that Scaramucci had already been caught on a hot mic between Sunday show appearances explaining his strategy.
Of note: The great leak hunter's departure was *leaked* out early, reported first by The New York Times and ABC News.
-- For those wondering, I asked ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" if they plan on adding Scaramucci to its cast in order to create what could be an epic Scaramucci vs. Sean Spicer danceoff. Spicer has thus far declined to comment on whether he'd join the show. ABC's response: "We do not comment on casting or casting rumors, but please stay tuned for a full announcement closer to our premiere date - September 18."
JOHN KELLY IS NOW IN CHARGE, SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE MEDIA? Yesterday I took a deep dive into the retired four star general and former Secretary of Homeland Security and his relationship with the fourth estate. In conversations with his former colleagues and reporters who have covered him, here's what I found:
-- Kelly deeply appreciates the role of press and the media's importance to a free democracy. But he sees it as a two-way street. He'll offer transparency and respect, but expects it in return.
-- He learned media relations from Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and Leon Panetta, who were both known to have good relationships with their press corps.
-- Kelly oversaw the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay as head of the U.S. Southern Command from 2012 to 2016, and he was proud of the work he did there. He offered journalists access and information, but sometimes felt burned by the coverage.
-- He cares about leaks, but of a classified nature, which he's called close to "treason" before. But Kelly understands that leaks of non-classified information, like about personnel are just the nature of Washington.
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-- But at his heart, Kelly is a military man. That means that while he respects the press, he reveres the chain of command, at the top of which is President Donald Trump. So if it were to come down to a situation where the president, for example, wanted to bar a reporter from the White House (not out of the realm of possibility considering he regularly blacklisted entire outlets from his campaign events), Kelly would strenuously object. But if he was unsuccessful in convincing the president otherwise, he'd carry out his commands.
Read my full piece here.
Good morning and welcome to Morning Media! I always want to hear from you -- hgold@politico.com / @Hadas Gold. Morning Media is edited by Alex Weprin (@alexweprin / alexweprin@gmail.com) and produced with writing/reporting help from Cristiano Lima, (clima@politico.com / @Iudacristiano). Archives. Subscribe.
HAS DRUDGE SOURED ON TRUMP? Matt Drudge doesn't tweet often from his personal account and when he does, people pay attention (because he also deletes his tweets in short order). So it was notable on Monday morning when Drudge tweeted "Life is a circle..." above a screenshot of a 1990 New York Daily News cover proclaiming "Trump in a Slump: Worried banks are pressing him on $2 billion in debt."
Some would argue that it's clear Drudge is losing faith in Trump. CNN's Oliver Darcy wrote last week that Drudge is firing "warning shots" at the White House, and that "Drudge has appeared irked by Trump and his White House, frustrated with the president's inability to carry out the ambitious agenda."
Others though, like my colleague .Michael Kruse, are arguing that Drudge is pointing out that Trump has gone through slumps before, but always survives.
SINCLAIR TAKING LOCAL HEAT, by Alex Weprin: Sinclair Broadcasting is facing local criticism as it continues its bid to acquire the local TV stations owned by Tribune Media. In Maine, the state's largest newspaper the Press Herald wrote about Sinclair's "must-run" segments, which feature conservative commentary from people like former Trump advisor Boris Epshteyn. "Portland's WGME, a CBS affiliate, and its sister station WPFO, a Fox affiliate, are required to air them," the Press Herald's Colin Woodard wrote. "They are the only stations in Maine that are forced to run editorial commentary by their corporate parent."
In Cleveland, the Plain Dealer covers Sinclair's proposed acquisition of the city's Fox affiliate WJW, which is currently owned by Tribune. "Will Sinclair push a political agenda in Cleveland and those other stations? No doubt about it, but so what? If all Sinclair did was broadcast Boris Epshteyn round the clock, there still would be all of these other outlets where you can get the news," Fordham University professor Paul Levinson told The Plain Dealer.
SPEAKING OF SINCLAIR: TRUMP'S TEAM THOUGHT OF GIVING DETAILS OF DON TRUMP JR.'S MEETING WITH THE RUSSIAN LAWYER TO CIRCA, the online news organization owned by the company, according to The Washington Post. Circa, since its
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acquisition by Sinclair in 2015, has become a favorite news outlet on the right, with Fox News' Sean Hannity regularly featuring its scoops on his program. The New York Times was hot on the trail of Don Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer claiming to have dirt on Hillary Clinton (they ultimately broke the story) but the outside legal team "suggested that the details be given to Circa, an online news organization that the Kasowitz team thought would be friendly to Trump. Circa had inquired in previous days about the meeting, according to people familiar with the discussions."
WHOA - EMAIL PRANKSTER TRICKS ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, including Anthony Scaramucci, Tom Bossert, Jon Huntsman, and Eric Trump via CNN: "A self described "email prankster" in the UK fooled a number of White House officials into thinking he was other officials, including an episode where he convinced the White House official tasked with cyber security that he was Jared Kushner and received that official's private email address unsolicited."
REVOLVING DOOR:
-- Corey Lewandowski has been fired from OANN for appearing too much on other cable channels. [Daily Beast]
-- Craig Swagler has been named general manager and Linda Coombs will be director of operations for CBS News Radio as Constance Lloyd, general manager of CBS News Radio since 2000, retires.
-- CNN reporter Kate Bennett will be a preliminary judge for Miss America
SOUNDBITES: "A great day at the White House!" [President Donald Trump]
TIL: John Popper, the singer for the band Blues Traveler has been doxxing a guy on Twitter, posting images and information about his home. [Daily Beast]
EXTRAS:
-- Discovery's deal to acquire HGTV owner Scripps Networks was made official Monday morning. [CNNMoney]
-- NowThisNews and Chase bank are teaming up to make #content, and Chase has a "newsroom." [Business Insider]
-- CNN and Anderson Cooper lead the pack in Twitter followers. [Poynter]
-- Barnes & Noble will now carry Milo Yiannopoulos' book. [New York Post]
-- Sean Hannity is partnering with actor Kevin Sorbo to produce a faith-based film that will be directed by and star the "Hercules" actor. [Variety]
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-- Memo to Jared Kushner, never trust the interns, they will leak. [Foreign Policy] -- Reddit raised $200 million in funding and is now valued at $1.8 billion. [Recode] To view online'. http://www.politico.com/media/tipsheets/morning-media/2017/08/01/kellys-military-approach-tothe-media-scaramucci-out-has-drudge-soured-on-trump-001322 To change your alert settings, please go to https://secure.politico.com/settings
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