President Trump shocked the media by engaging reporters in an extended Q & A in the Oval Office Monday night while signing executive orders and pardons and commutations for supporters prosecuted over the January 6 riot. The signing event went on for about 45 minutes as Trump took questions from reporters while he signed the orders and pardons. It was a stark contrast from the four years of the media covering up Joe Biden’s dementia.
Will Scharf, who was one of Trump’s personal attorneys in his court battles last year and was appointed by Trump to be White House staff secretary, handed Trump the binders with executive orders and pardons, explaining to Trump and the reporters about each one.
Reaction from reporters:
The Washington Post’s Matt Viser, “President Trump sits and takes question after question from reporters in the Oval Office, something that almost never happened with President Biden.”
President Trump sits and takes question after question from reporters in the Oval Office, something that almost never happened with President Biden.
— Matt Viser (@mviser) January 21, 2025
Washington Times reporter Mike Glenn, “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.”
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. #Trump #POTUS #Biden #PresidentTrump
— Mike Glenn (@MikeRGlenn) January 21, 2025
Axios reporter Marc Caputo, “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”
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
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) January 21, 2025
NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer, “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.”
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. https://t.co/LfxoU0oakL
— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) January 21, 2025
Video of Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asking Trump if Joe Biden left him the traditional president-to-president letter in the Resolute Desk, simply addressed to “47”:
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
Video of Trump engaging reporters for about 45 minutes (starts a little late):
Trump answered questions on the J6 pardons, Biden’s family pardons, foreign policy, Elon Musk and DOGE, and other topics while he signed all those documents.
