Conservative commentator Doug Wead appeared on Fox & Friends Thursday morning to declare President Donald Trump the “most accessible” president in history. He was rewarded for it with a shoutout from Trump.

Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy set up the segment by noting media criticism of the White House for effectively ending the press briefing, a tradition dating back decades that gives reporters an opportunity to question the administration in power. Given Trump’s tendency to stop and chat with reporters, however, Doocy suggested he’s “on track to be the most transparent president ever.”

Wead agreed. On to promote his book about Trump — Game of Thorns — Wead bashed the media for negative coverage of the administration, defended Trump against his critics, and called him “the most accessible president in history.”

“A great new book just out, ‘Game of Thorns,’ by Doug Wead, Presidential Historian and best selling author,” Trump tweeted shortly after. “The book covers the campaign of 2016, and what could be more exciting than that?”

A great new book just out, “Game of Thorns,” by Doug Wead, Presidential Historian and best selling author. The book covers the campaign of 2016, and what could be more exciting than that?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2019

What’s interesting about this little exchange is that the news cycle surrounding the end of White House briefings was ignited on Fox News. As Media Matters writer Matthew Gertz pointed out on Twitter, Fox News anchor Sandra Smith grilled White House spox Hogan Gidley on the end of briefings earlier this week. That segment — though critical of the administration — also earned a presidential tweet defending the death of briefings.

Here’s the video of that exchange. pic.twitter.com/lKvgi0SVZn

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) January 22, 2019

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Aidan McLaughlin
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