President Trump gave an unexpected compliment to the mainstream media at a White House event during the National Governors Association dinner. He opened his speech by acknowledging the journalists in the room, saying, “Now we’re with some very special reporters tonight.” He then added, “I often say the fake news, but I will not say that tonight. Even though I’m on live television, I will not call you fake news!”
According to Mediaite, Trump went on to explain his rare praise shortly after. “I said to myself the press has been relatively fair to me over the last year, meaning they’ve been bad, but not horrible,” he said, which got a few laughs from the crowd. For a president who regularly criticizes the media, even “bad, but not horrible” is a notable shift in tone.
The evening also featured entertainment, including a performance by violinist Rusanda Panfili, whom Trump called the “greatest violinist in the world.” Trump put it to a vote among the governors whether the press should be allowed to stay and watch the performance, then raised his own hand, saying, “I’m in favor.” The crowd cheered, and Trump gave the media members the green light to stay.
Trump’s history with the media makes this moment all the more striking
This moment stands out because Trump’s relationship with the media has been highly contentious for over a decade. He has frequently criticized major news organizations and has been involved in several high-profile legal battles with them. His comments at the dinner were a clear departure from his usual stance.
Trump has also been making bold moves on the global stage lately, including giving Iran a tight deadline to reach a deal, which experts say may carry more complexity than it appears.
Currently, Trump is suing the Wall Street Journal over a story claiming he sent Jeffrey Epstein a “bawdy” birthday letter in 2003. The lawsuit shows how seriously he takes media reports and his willingness to pursue legal action over them.
Trump is also suing the BBC for $10 billion, alleging the network “doctored” footage to make it appear as though he urged supporters to “fight” before the January 6 Capitol Riot. The BBC program Panorama, which aired in October 2024, reportedly showed Trump saying, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
However, Trump maintains that his actual words were, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” He argues this is a significant difference in how his words were presented to the public. Beyond legal battles, Trump has also been pledging billions toward Middle East peace efforts, though the broader details of those plans remain uncertain.
More recently, Trump publicly supported the merger of Nexstar and Tegna, explaining, “We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks.” Given this ongoing hostility toward the press, his “bad, but not horrible” remark at the National Governors Association dinner was a genuinely rare moment.
Published: Feb 22, 2026 11:15 am