In a sign the holiday spirit is in the air, Donald Trump had some kind words for the media on Thursday morning, fresh off of being named Time’s Person of the Year. The president-elect — while visiting the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell — thanked the outlet for the “honor” and said the magazine was run by “very professional people.”
Trump also shared his thoughts on the mainstream media overall, saying “the media’s tamed down a little bit. They’re likin’ us much better now, I think.”
“If not, we’ll just have to take them on again, and we don’t want to do that,” Trump added — indicating the good vibes may not extend into his second term.
He was flanked by several members of his upcoming administration, including vice president-elect J.D. Vance and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while sharing his thoughts. His wife Melania and daughters Ivanka and Tiffany also joined Trump on stage to ring the bell. The last time a president (or president-elect) rang the opening bell was when Ronald Reagan did it in 1985.
Trump on Thursday noted it was his second time being named Time’s Person of the Year, after first receiving the distinction in 2016.
“I think I like it better this time, actually,” Trump said, drawing some laughs from his crew.
He added that by his estimation, 25% of Time’s covers are “great,” while he prefers to “hide” the rest.
Later in his remarks, Trump thanked some of his “friends” in the audience, including presumably Jonathan Karl, ABC’s chief Washington correspondent.
“Jon, great job you’ve done at ABC,” Trump said. “I’m really proud of you and you’ve been so nice to me, otherwise I wouldn’t actually acknowledge you at all.”
