President Donald Trump opened a Cabinet meeting to the media on Thursday, reminding them of his commitment to press freedoms as he allowed reporters to remain in the room for nearly an hour.
“If you’d like, you can stay. If you’d like, you can leave,” he told reporters. “Freedom of the press,” he added.
The president’s Cabinet updated him about the various successes of his administration and the work they were doing on important issues.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo led a prayer at the top of the meeting, reading the “Cadet Prayer” from his West Point prayer book.
The meeting lasted about 56 minutes, according to reporters who were present.
Despite allowing unprecedented access to the meeting, Trump did not answer any of the reporters’ questions, among which was one asking if he used the “N-word.”