Newt’s World, Episode 821: Reporting on Trump’s White House

Host: Newt Gingrich
Guest: Christian Datoc, White House Reporter for the Washington Examiner
Date: March 13, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Newt Gingrich sits down with Christian Datoc, a veteran White House reporter, to discuss the dramatic changes in White House press access, shifts in government management under President Trump, the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk at its helm, evolving US-Canada relations, and the aggressive pace of policy rollouts in Trump’s early second term. The conversation provides an insider’s look at both the media landscape and rapid transformations in federal policy mechanisms.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. White House Press Corps: Major Changes Under Trump (02:49 – 05:26)

• Press Pool Shakeup: The Associated Press was ejected from the White House Correspondents Association pool after refusing to adopt Trump-administration language.

• White House Takes Control: The new Press Secretary, Caroline Levitt, announced that the White House now manages press pool access, ending the century-old independence of the Correspondents Association.

• Expanded Media Access: More outlets, including new media (print, digital, podcasts, etc.), are getting access, creating tension between established media and newcomers.

• Physical Constraints Remain: The briefing room’s small size means practical limitations persist despite expanded credentials.

  “...they’re adding dozens, if not hundreds of new outlets who previously were not credentialed ... there is a little bit of tension right now, not only between the White House and the press corps ... but also between some of those legacy media outlets ... and some of these new faces.”
  — Christian Datoc (03:52)

2. How Press Pools Work (05:37 – 07:24)

• Three Main Pools:

  • In-town Pool: Covers day-to-day activities at the White House.
  • Domestic Travel Pool: A small group travels inside the US with the President.
  • Foreign Travel Pool: Covers international trips; sometimes requires extra planes.

• Transparency Importance: These pools ensure news outlets everywhere have inside, accurate reporting on the president’s activities.

  “...ultimately that’s what we do. We provide a utility to voters so that they can keep checks and tabs on the government...”
  — Christian Datoc (07:02)

3. Legacy of the White House Correspondents Association (07:24 – 10:14)

• WHCA Limitations: Problems were less about access and more about optics and communication with the public.

• Changing Access Under Different Administrations: Biden’s White House kept access limited for all press, not just conservative outlets.

• Perception Gaps: Misunderstandings exist among the public about what the press actually does inside the White House.

  “...during President Biden's term in office, we saw a severe lack of access, not just for conservative outlets or smaller outlets, but even for ... NBC News or Politico...”
  — Christian Datoc (08:10)

4. Contrasting Trump and Biden Press Strategies (10:14 – 11:35)

• Trump’s Openness: Trump holds frequent, often spontaneous press conferences, in stark contrast to Biden’s avoidance of public Q&A.

• Democracy Irony: The guest and host note the paradox of more democratic media engagement under Trump versus “democracy” rhetoric from Democrats.

  “...having a president like Donald Trump who is willing to speak to the press on basically a daily basis, on the whole, that is a huge positive and certainly a big improvement compared to President Biden...”
  — Christian Datoc (10:35)

  “...the degree to which Trump is just, in the Jeffersonian sense, being very democratic, small d, basically randomly answering all sorts of people. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, frankly.”
  — Newt Gingrich (11:15)

5. Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) & Elon Musk (14:38 – 18:12)

• Bipartisan Consensus: Both parties recognize the federal government is too bloated.

• Elon Musk’s Approach: Musk is applying his “break then rebuild” tech-titan playbook, which has strengths and limitations.

• Initial Stumbles: Moving too fast has led to errors and PR missteps; some savings are unsubstantiated.

• Hope for Pentagon Audit: Auditing defense spending has broad appeal and could have been a better starting point for PR.

  “Mr. Musk’s general approach, which appeared to be come in, break everything, and then rebuild from the ground up, I don’t think necessarily worked as well with the federal government as ... a tech startup.”
  — Christian Datoc (15:41)

  “You know, Mr. Musk could be using a scalpel, but instead he’s trying to go in with a chainsaw right now.”
  — Christian Datoc (17:45)

6. Accuracy vs. Speed in Federal Reform (18:12 – 21:09)

• Public Sentiment Split: Americans want both action and accuracy. Yet poll data shows a majority prefer mistakes and action over inaction.

• Need for Cooperation: Datoc warns that excessive speed and poor accuracy could allow future Democratic administrations to easily reverse changes.

  “...when you’re dealing in a fast-moving tech-based startup world, speed is king. But this is the United States of America and you’re auditing essentially the entire federal government. I think accuracy should be more important than speed.”
  — Christian Datoc (18:59)

7. The Trump Tariffs & the Canada Trade Fight (21:09 – 25:37)

• US-Canada Dynamics: Recent tariffs (ostensibly on immigration/fentanyl issues) have shifted Canadian politics, reviving the Liberal Party.

• Impact on Alliances: Datoc expresses concern over the erosion of goodwill with America’s close neighbors.

• Broader Trade Shifts: Trump’s administration is willing to throw out past agreements (e.g., USMCA, NAFTA) to reshape economic relationships.

  “This is having a severe negative impact politically for the Trump administration up north ... Canadian Liberals are by far the biggest beneficiaries of this trade war, not necessarily US manufacturing and production.”
  — Christian Datoc (23:27, 25:12)

8. The Philosophy and Strategy Behind Tariffs (27:43 – 30:27)

• Peter Navarro’s Influence: Tariff design aims to correct decades-old trade imbalance, with reciprocal tariffs matching foreign imposts on US goods.

• Notably Measured: Datoc distinguishes between reciprocal tariffs (considered thoughtful) and more reactionary punitive tariffs applied in ongoing disputes.

  “The driving force behind Donald Trump’s tariff agenda lies with a man named Peter Navarro...These tariffs are meant to, one, offset US trade deficits with our top trading partners, and two, sort of reforge the global economy...”
  — Christian Datoc (27:52)

9. Early Policy Blitz: Can the Pace Be Maintained? (30:27 – 31:46)

• Rapid Rollout: Trump’s team is quickly enacting a broad policy agenda. Even White House insiders are surprised by the scale.

• Upcoming Tests: The next big challenge is passing Trump’s tax cut package through Congress.

  “...it feels like it’s been a fire hose, which the media is trying to cover up for the last nearly two months now.”
  — Christian Datoc (31:29)

10. Cabinet Appointments: Stark Contrast to Prior Administration (31:46 – 34:07)

• Private-Sector Heavy: Trump’s Cabinet has several figures with strong private-sector backgrounds, in contrast to Biden’s “career bureaucrats.”

• Brooke Rollins at USDA: Rollins swiftly addressed bird flu’s impact on egg prices with decisive, practical policy.

  “She had a concrete plan...again, even if you don’t agree with this president on the issues and you are raising the topic of elevated egg prices, that’s a real answer there.”
  — Christian Datoc (32:21)

11. Cross-Party Appointments & Political Dynamics (34:07 – 35:29)

• Surprising Names: Trump’s Cabinet features former Democrats like RFK Jr. (HHS) and Tulsi Gabbard (DNI), a throwback to periods of greater bipartisanship.

  “...we used to have bipartisanship within presidential administrations not too long ago, but now Donald Trump has a former Democrat running HHS in Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.”
  — Christian Datoc (34:59)

  “His Director of National Intelligence was a Democratic candidate for president.”
  — Newt Gingrich (35:29)

12. The Reporter’s Perspective (35:33 – 36:08)

• Intensity at the White House: Datoc shares how reporting in this rapidly shifting environment provides a “lifetime education.”

  “Of course, the White House now has got to be one of the most intense places for a reporter to be covering. It’s a lifetime education for you.”
  — Newt Gingrich (35:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Press Access:
  “It’s been a tumultuous time. There’s been a lot of changes. And I think there’s probably going to be even more updates on this front...”
  — Christian Datoc (05:16)

• On Government Reform:
  “The federal government has grown too bloated, and we could use a lot more oversight when it comes to how we spend taxpayer money.”
  — Christian Datoc (15:01)

• On Canadian Relations and Tariffs:
  “It’s a pretty seismic shift in the paradigm in how North America operates.”
  — Christian Datoc (24:42)

• On Trump’s Cabinet:
  “Virtually everybody there is very strong. You compare them to Biden's Cabinet, and there’s just no comparison in terms of what they’ve achieved in the real world.”
  — Newt Gingrich (33:27)

• On Bipartisanship:
  “Now Donald Trump has a former Democrat running HHS in Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.”
  — Christian Datoc (34:59)

Suggested Timestamps for Key Segments

• White House Press Pool Overhaul: 02:49 – 05:26
• Definition & Logistics of Press Pools: 05:37 – 07:24
• Critique of WHCA & Access Under Biden: 07:24 – 10:14
• Contrasts: Trump vs. Biden on Press: 10:14 – 11:35
• Elon Musk at DoGE: 14:38 – 18:12
• Accuracy vs. Speed in Reform: 18:12 – 21:09
• Canadian Trade Dispute: 21:09 – 25:37
• Tariff Philosophy: 27:43 – 30:27
• Pace and Priorities of Trump’s Second Term: 30:27 – 31:46
• Cabinet Contrast, Specific Picks: 31:46 – 34:07
• Bipartisan Cabinet Appointments: 34:07 – 35:29
• Reporter’s White House Experience: 35:33 – 36:08

Tone

The episode blends real-time reporting, political insight, and historical context, delivered in a conversational and accessible style. Datoc is precise and provides the “inside baseball” explanation, while Gingrich contextualizes with history and wry observation. Both demonstrate a respect for process but also share candid takes on Washington’s current upheaval.

For Further Reading

• Christian Datoc’s reporting: Washington Examiner

This summary captures the in-depth, fast-moving, and sometimes chaotic feel of the early months of the second Trump administration as seen from inside the White House press room — and puts today’s headlines in context for listeners and readers alike.