WH press secretary turns tables on Stephen King, Don Winslow after authors' $200G 'strings attached' charity offer
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham was ready with a reply Thursday after authors Stephen King and Don Winslow offered to donate a total of $200,000 to a children's charity if Grisham agreed to hold a press briefing, ending a drought of nearly 10 months.
"If you have $200,000 to play with," Grisham answered, via an interview with CNN, "why not just help children because it’s a good thing to do?
"Donations to charity should never come with strings attached," she added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}STEPHANIE GRISHAM SAYS REPORTERS USED WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFINGS TO ‘GET FAMOUS’
Winslow and King tweeted Thursday they would each kick in $100,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Grisham’s name, if she would hold a one-hour meeting in the White House briefing room.
“And all you have to do is YOUR DAMN JOB!” King scolded.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stephen King, left, and fellow author Don Winslow tried to persuade White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham to hold a traditional press briefing at the White House.
Winslow was quick to react after Grisham gave her answer.
“First, we both regularly donate to charity,” he tweeted. “Second, why do all Trump officials refuse to answer the most basic questions they are asked? Stop evading, Stephanie. Let's try again: Why have you not held any White House press briefings for over 300 days? What are you afraid of?”
Grisham took over as White House press secretary when Sarah Sanders departed in June -- but unlike Sanders, Grisham has not held any formal media briefings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The administration has set a record for the longest period without a White House press briefing, which last occurred March 11 while Sanders was still in the position.
President Trump often holds informal press pools with reporters on the White House lawn. He also takes questions during other White House events.
In September, Grisham told Fox News the briefings had become “a lot of theater,” claiming that some reporters were trying to use them to “get famous.”
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She added that President Trump is “his own best spokesperson.”