In recent weeks, former President Donald Trump has favored local and regional news outlets over larger national ones for exclusive updates about his campaign maneuvers.
He has shared insights with newspapers and broadcast stations in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New York regarding his upcoming campaign plans or what he might do in a potential second term.
While Trump still frequently engages with national outlets, particularly conservative ones like Newsmax and Fox News, he provided a comprehensive outline to Time magazine about his vision for another term. Lately, though, he seems inclined to prioritize local outlets for breaking news during his campaign trail.
KDKA, a CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh
When Jon Delano of KDKA, a Pittsburgh CBS affiliate, queried Trump on potentially placing restrictions on contraceptives like birth control, Trump provided an ambiguous response.
“We’re looking at that, and I’m going to have a policy on that very shortly,” he stated. “And I think it’s something that you’ll find interesting, and it’s another issue that’s very interesting, but you will find it, I think, very smart. I think it’s a smart decision.”
After national media outlets picked up the story, Trump retracted his statement. He called the national news reports “a Democrat fabricated lie” and asserted that he would “never advocate imposing restrictions on birth control.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
During a campaign stop in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a predominantly Republican area near Milwaukee, Trump informed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he would accept Wisconsin’s election results only if they were “honest.”
“If everything’s honest, I’d gladly accept the results. If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country… But if everything’s honest, which we anticipate it will be — a lot of changes have been made over the last few years — but if everything’s honest, I will absolutely accept the results,” Trump told the Journal Sentinel.
National media outlets quickly picked up on the comment. In the same interview, Trump also refused to accept the 2020 election results in Wisconsin, where President Joe Biden won by approximately 20,000 votes.
News12 New York
At a rally in the Bronx, New York, Trump spoke with a local station, News12 New York, offering insights into his shortlist for vice president. When asked about the potential candidates, Trump narrowed down the extensive list.
“We have so many,” Trump remarked. “You could take people like Ben Carson, people like Marco Rubio, or J.D. Vance. I mean, there’s so many. Elise is doing a fantastic job, but I could go on for quite a long time. We have many people who would do a really fantastic job.”
Trump also shared with the outlet his views on former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s potential role in his possible second term. Despite their contentious past campaign, Trump spoke positively about her future involvement.
“I think she’s going to be on our team because we have a lot of the same ideas, the same thoughts,” Trump told the station. “I appreciated what she said. You know, we had a nasty campaign. It was pretty nasty. But she’s a very capable person, and I’m sure she’s going to be on our team in some form, absolutely.”
