'Do your damn job!': Stephen King and Don Winslow will donate $200k to children's hospital if White House finally holds press briefing
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Authors Stephen King and Don Winslow are offering to donate thousands of dollars to a children's hospital in the name of the White House press secretary if the administration's chief spokesperson holds a formal press briefing, which it hasn't done in nearly a year.
Mr Winslow wrote to Stephanie Grisham on Twitter, offering $100,000 to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in exchange for a one-hour briefing inside the White House.
Mr King upped the ante, adding another $100,000.
He wrote on Twitter: "That's 200 K for charity. And all you have to do is YOUR DAMN JOB! ... This administration isn't about information, it's about propaganda. A press briefing will only underline lies and contradictions. Go ahead, Stephanie Grisham, prove me wrong. Bonus: $200,000 to sick children."
Washington's press corps has urged the White House to resume the long-held practice of daily press briefings after former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders ended them last year. The last formal press briefing inside the White House's James Brady briefing room was on 11 March 2019.
While other members of the administration hold press conferences and other formal remarks with opportunities for reporter questions, the president instead prefers briefly responding to a handful of questions at random appearances, making it difficult for reporters to ask follow-up questions and challenge the administration's on-record statements.
Ms Grisham told CNN's Jake Tapper: "If you have $200,000 to play with, why not just help children because it's a good thing to do? Donations to charity should never come with strings attached."
She told Fox News that the briefings had amounted to "theatre" that reporters were hoping to use to "get famous".
Ms Grisham also has said that the president speaks directly with the US, at campaign rallies and in statements, "more than any president in history".
Previous press secretaries Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders buckled under a barrage of questions aimed at the administration, and Ms Huckabee Sanders grew increasingly frustrated with repeated questioning from CNN's Jim Acosta.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments