July 26, 2017

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Reads Letter from Nine-Year-Old Praising the President

When asked about Trump’s ban on transgender military service, she threatened to end the briefing.

President Donald Trump may be busy hurling threats at lawmakers in his own party, unsettling the Boy Scouts, and publicly undermining the attorney general, but the White House would like the record to show that the president has made at least one new friend this week: nine-year-old Dylan.

In a rare on-camera appearance Wednesday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders opened the briefing by reading a letter supposedly written by Trump’s adoring fan.

“You’re my favorite president,” the letter read. “I like you so much that I had a birthday about you. My cake was the shape of your hat.”

Sanders continued by answering a few questions from Dylan, including “How much money do you have?” Instead of using this as an opportunity to finally provide Trump’s tax returns, Sanders assured Dylan the president had “a lot” of money.

“I don’t know why people don’t like you,” the letter continued. “You seem really nice. Can we be friends?” Sanders assured Dylan that the president would indeed be his friend.

She concluded Wednesday by threatening to end the briefing if reporters continued to ask her about Trump’s announcement banning transgender people from military service. 

Update: Sanders provided proof of Dylan’s existence:

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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