President Donald Trump is currently spending the weekend with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump and Abe left for Florida following a press conference that was embarrassingly characteristic of Trump’s presidency so far.
The press pool at the clubhouse was taken downstairs and into a room that had black plastic on the doors and windows. The pool was told not to take pictures while at the so-called private resort.
White House has blacked out windows to keep pool from taking photos of President golfing in Florida
(via @JenniferJJacobs) pic.twitter.com/dsJnbUtYQI— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) February 11, 2017
Our view of Trump's Jupiter golf course from the pool hold. pic.twitter.com/VCtTIJaSLQ
— Jill Colvin (@colvinj) February 11, 2017
According to a White House pool report provided to PoliticusUSA:
“The reporters are being held in a basement with the windows blacked out. Anyone who has been a pool reporter knows that they sometimes have to hold in some odd and uncomfortable locations while covering the president, but the blackening out of the windows is a problem because it represents the President Of The United States hiding his activities from the free press that provides information to the American people.”
People on Twitter are pointing out that the plastic is on the inside, and they are calling on the press to tear it down.
rip that plastic off those windows. This is absurd!
— MichelleDenise (@deniseMdeniseM) February 11, 2017
tear it down. Why are you acting like caged monkeys.
— areyoukiddingme (@mhickey187) February 11, 2017
so the black plastic is on the inside? Tear it off. Oh and did you all search for the hidden camera?
— MakeAmericaScienceAgain (@desertTukut) February 11, 2017
pull off the plastic
— Charles Pearson (@Mediauras) February 11, 2017
Some people think it has more to do with the cheating done on the golf course.
My brother played golf with Trump quite a few times & says he cheats, is a very poor loser. That might explain no photos.
— Colleen Hamilton (@Colleen_ham1) February 11, 2017
Whatever the reason, one thing remains clear. Tax payers are paying millions of dollars for Trump to travel to “the Winter White house.” His activities during these trips are public business.
He does not get to maintain any sense of privacy while conducting the People’s business.
Trump needs to remember that he is essentially our employee. He was hired (however illegitimately) to work on our behalf. As his employer, we expect that he follows the law.
If he wants privacy then he needs to resign. If we are footing the bill, then Mar-a-Lago is no longer a “private club,” and the First Amendment applies.
Featured Image: Screenshot Via Twitter.
