Asked whether she saw her primary role as promoting the interests of the president or providing the “unvarnished truth” to reporters, she responded in part, “I have deep respect for the role of a free and independent press in our democracy…there will be moments when we disagree…but we have a common goal, which is sharing accurate information with the American people.”īiden’s senior communications staff made history as the first all-female communications team but that landmark will likely prove less memorable than the dramatic shift in strategy that has marked Biden’s communications approach in his first 100 days.Īccording to data by UC Santa Barbara’s The American Presidency Project, the Trump White House bested itself in setting the record for the longest amount of time without holding a formal press briefing, when it went over 400 days without one. Hours after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46 th president, Psaki took the first question of her first press briefing. From his first days in office, former President Trump favored using his personal Twitter account over the tools available to his communications team, giving him total control over his message and a channel directly to his followers. The Trump presidency was plagued by four years of escalating tension and deepening cynicism between communications staff and the media, often the result of mutual mistrust and the president’s frequent attacks on the press. “Is this a cure all? Hell no, but people are hurting.White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s first press conference marked a significant change in tone from the previous administration. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership,” McConaughey said. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. McConaughey acknowledged that gun legislation would not end mass shootings but suggested that steps can be taken to lessen the chances of such tragedies happening so frequently. He related the personal stories of a number of the victims, displaying the artwork of one girl and the trademark green tennis shoes worn by another. “They want to make their loss of life matter,” McConaughey said. He said every parent he spoke to expressed that “they want their children’s dreams to live on.” WATCH: Why doctors are calling gun violence in the U.S.
He said he and his wife drove back to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with the families of some of the victims and others directly impacted by the rampage. McConaughey, who declined to take questions, spoke of learning to become a responsible gun owner as a youngster in Uvalde.
McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor in Texas before taking a pass, met briefly with President Joe Biden before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room. “We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that won’t make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns,” McConaughey said. McConaughey used his star power to make an argument for legislation in a fashion that the Biden administration has not been able to, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and offering vivid detail on the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey offered a full-throated exhortation for a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights. WASHINGTON (AP) - Academy Award–winning actor Matthew McConaughey took center stage at the White House briefing Tuesday to call on Congress to “reach a higher ground” and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last month’s shooting rampage at an elementary school in his home town of Uvalde, Texas.