Trump's big press conference with Justin Trudeau was missing a question about the elephant in the room

pulse

February 13, 2017 9:06 PM

Trump avoided questions during a press conference about embattled National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

President Donald Trump at a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

President Donald Trump during a joint press conference on Monday managed to avoid questions about concerns that embattled National Security Adviser Michael Flynn misled Trump officials about his communications with Russia's ambassador.

A Washington Post story published last week said Flynn may have lied to Mike Pence, then the vice president-elect, about whether the adviser discussed US-Russia sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took office, raising concerns about Flynn's future in the White House.

But despite the story's front-page treatment in newspapers like The Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, the American journalists Trump called on during his joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not confront Trump about the national security adviser.

Scott Thurman from ABC7 Sinclair asked a broad question about the "philosophical differences" between Trump and Trudeau, while Kaitlan Collins, The Daily Caller's White House reporter, asked Trump what he saw as the largest national-security threat facing the US.

Several reporters noted the absence of a question about Flynn, which some journalists such as ABC's Jon Karl attempted to ask Trump as he left the press conference.

Some prominent former Democratic staffers were also quick to criticize the questions at the press conference.

This isn't the first time the new administration has been scrutinized for its selection of questioners.

Trump's team faced some criticism after the president's press conference last week for taking questions from only outlets owned by Rupert Murdoch, who has deep personal and financial ties to Trump. White House press secretary Sean Spicer has attempted to include smaller news outlets in press briefings, including local outlets, as well as some questioners who supported Trump during the campaign.

pulse