Donald Trump dumps press corps and heads for a game of golf
This is not the first time the President-elect has ditched the media pool
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Your support makes all the difference.President-elect Donald Trump has ditched his press pool once again - this time to and enjoy a round of golf.
After Mr Trump’s election victory in November, he caused great anger among the press pool travelling with him when he went to a restaurant without informing them.
Now, he has done so again - leaving them to play a round of golf at his club in Jupiter, Florida.
The Associated Press said that a member of the club, posted an image of Mr Trump on the greens on Saturday morning and said the president-elect was accompanied by about 25 Secret Service agents.
Transition aide Stephanie Grisham confirmed that Mr Trump had made a “last minute trip” to Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, which is about a half-hour drive from the Mar-a-Lago estate, where hehas been spending the holidays.
Ms Grisham said that she and other aides were not aware of the trip and “appreciate everyone's understanding”.
“We are in the home stretch of this transition period and don’t anticipate any additional situations like this between now and inauguration,” she said in a statement.
“We hope this one incident doesn’t negate all the progress we have made and look forward to continuing the great relationships we have built.”
During the campaign, routinely Mr Trump routinely denounced the media that covered his rallies and events, even describing them to his supporters as “terrible people” and “scum”.
The AP said that he also scoffed at tradition, such as allowing a group of reporters to follow him at all times, to ensure the public knows where he is.
The practice is meant to ensure that journalists are on hand to witness, on behalf of the public, the activities of the president or president-elect, rather than relying on secondhand accounts.
The White House also depends on having journalists nearby at all times to relay the president's first comments on breaking news.
The news agency said that Mr Trump’s aides appear to have made an effort in recent weeks to offer additional access, allowing reporters to camp out outside a doorway at Mar-a-Lago to document staff and cabinet candidates' arrivals and departures and providing information about his meeting schedule.
Every president and president-elect in recent memory has travelled with a pool of journalists when leaving the White House grounds. News organisations take turns serving in the small group, paying their way and sharing the material collected in the pool with the larger press corps.
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