More evidence that President Trump’s advisers talk to him through the television

Convincing President Donald Trump not to blink first during the government shutdown was a challenge that required coaxing by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), according to The Washington Post's Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey. Parker and Dawsey reported that the president's aides employed another tactic, too, as they tried to curb President Trump's urge to offer a deal that might have cost the GOP more than it ultimately gave: "The White House also made sure that senior administration officials, as well as top surrogates, were out on television pushing the president's message. The strategy helped magnify the White House pitch and ensure that Trump, who spent large portions of the weekend following the shutdown on cable news, would not see negative coverage that made him more inclined to strike a deal with Democrats, White House officials said." Here we have more evidence that Trump's advisers, formal and informal, talk to him through the television, believing his decisions are influenced by what he sees on cable news. The fear in this case was that Trump would grow impatient if too much airtime was filled by commentators blaming him for the shutdown, and might make a hasty, unfavorable concession just to end it. The solution: Soothe the impulsive president by putting supportive voices on TV.