Former Trump Chief of Staff joined by “Watergate” reporters at Monterey lecture

Monday night was the third of four events for the Leon Panetta Lecture Series, with the topic for 2018 – “Is the American Dream Alive and Well?”

The speakers on Monday are three of the most influential people in politics, former Trump White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and the journalists who uncovered the “Watergate” scandal for the Washington Post, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.

When discussing the role of the President for the “American Dream,” Priebus defended his old boss. “Somehow the process of the management style of this President is not an acceptable style. I would argue the opposite. Because of that style, that folks in politics might not like, (it) allowed him to get a lot more things done.”

Bernstein says coverage of the Trump Administration by many of the major news outlets have been outstanding. “We have seen, during the Trump presidency, the greatest reporting on the presidency, day in and day out ,by the major news organizations.”

Woodward cited the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal as having that great coverage, but says some reporting at some outlets go too far. “(They are) too emotionally judgemental and unhinged about him. And i think its all about the work and the quality and the effort.”

While President Trump continues to use the phrase “fake news,” Priebus says he doesn’t think most journalists are making things up. “I think I would come down on the side of unhinged (laughter), adding, “I am not one of the people that believe most journalists are making things up, or don’t really have the
sources. I think they do.”