Larry Glickman
larryglickman.bsky.social
Larry Glickman
@larryglickman.bsky.social
Historian at Cornell University and author, most recently, of FREE ENTERPRISE: AN AMERICAN HISTORY. Working on a history of backlash politics in the United States, from Reconstruction to the present.
Reposted by Larry Glickman
Wait, they're still bitching about not getting access to Biden? They're STILL mad about that? We went through a year of hair raising shenanigans and they still think this is something we need to consider and take seriously?

These are not serious people.
The essence of this article is that a NY Times reporter called Trump’s cellphone at 4:30am and that Trump answered the call but said nothing of importance, other than wait for the press conference.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/i...
Why I Cold-Called President Trump at 4:30 in the Morning
www.nytimes.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
It's hilarious to me that NYT reporters are still salty over Biden not doing enough interviews with them. Trump treats me them like enemies, regularly threatens them, and restricts access, but Biden didn't let Tyler Pager interview him and that is unforgivable.
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
January 4, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
Yeah, self-importance/narcissistic behavior on both sides of this equation. It looks narcissistic to characterize receiving personal attention from an info-devoid narcissist who lies all the time as being somehow better than a non-pathological liar disinterested in taking their calls.
January 4, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
and regarding this general accessibility, it's clearly not because trump is open and interested in sharing information. it's because he 1) wants to impress and dominate people, 2) prefers being manipulated by fawning chatter to processing substantial, complex information and 3) has 1/
January 4, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
Major irritant for me: Access-driven reporters (I’m so special) are happy to get lies, racist claims & demented rambling. What benefit is that to the reader? Access=personal attention. How many dysfunctional reporters are looking for attention instead of info?
January 4, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
At some point, NYT needs to realize that running the country as a serious leader is a positive, regardless of their collective feelings. In their craving for access, they resemble Hollywood gossip rags more than serious news outlet.
January 4, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
This is SO revealing about the "access journalism" media thinks. And it's not good - at all. bluevirginia.us/2026/01/sund... h/t @larryglickman.bsky.social
January 4, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
I personally would like for the President of the United States to be too busy to take a reporter’s random phone calls.
January 4, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
An entire article for a humble brag?
January 4, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
Our media is replete with people who could not care less about journalism or truth telling and only care about feeling important
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
And this was always cited by people who excuse their asymmetric treatment of Biden's and Trump's age.

"Oh, Trump talks to the press all the time," they said, as if that was proof Trump still had his wits.

Which, of course, required not talking too much about Trump no longer having his wits.
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
They love being special little boys and girls. The access and prestige is their drug. It's why when critiques are leveled against them, they simply dismiss it all together. Who are we to deliver criticism of them? Don't we know what they do and how smart they are?
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
Say what you will about the con man, but he always says "Hi!" and checks my pockets.
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
It's embarrassing that this far in reporters still treat Trump personally lying to them as incredible access.
The essence of this article is that a NY Times reporter called Trump’s cellphone at 4:30am and that Trump answered the call but said nothing of importance, other than wait for the press conference.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/i...
Why I Cold-Called President Trump at 4:30 in the Morning
www.nytimes.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
It strikes me that a reporter who's exuberant about a source telling him nothing wouldn't be the best interviewer
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
I agree. I’m having that really unpleasant feeling of Fremdschämen — vicarious embarrassment.
January 4, 2026 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
This column has the stink of TMZ celebrity news. Pager fluffed up trump, who lies like he breathes, as a reward for access.Trump "likes to be accessible — not just to reporters, but to lawmakers, staff, friends and foreign leaders."
Gaining access to a flagrant liar is not the job of journalism.
January 4, 2026 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
New euphemism for "bottomless corruption and naked abuses of power" just dropped
January 4, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
How it’s playing in Europe:
January 4, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
But only one deserves to be pilloried for the way information is not given, apparently.
Would 2024 have been different if Biden had agreed to an NYT interview but said nothing of note? We'll never know...
From the perspective of reporting the news, it doesn’t strike me that there is a functional difference between a president who answers the phone at 4:30am in the morning but doesn’t answer a reporter’s questions, versus a president who doesn’t agreed to be interviewed.
January 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM
The essence of this article is that a NY Times reporter called Trump’s cellphone at 4:30am and that Trump answered the call but said nothing of importance, other than wait for the press conference.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/i...
Why I Cold-Called President Trump at 4:30 in the Morning
www.nytimes.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:40 AM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
Yes, this is exactly the time to demand Democrats "do something."

They can denounce Trump's actions as unconstitutional. They can state that he must be impeached and removed. They can make clear that all involved will be held accountable.

These are the core duties of a role they all signed up for.
January 3, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman
NYT gonna NYT: "Both Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Maduro identify as socialists, though they have no relationship.” — would be funny if they did this every time you write about two capitalists.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/w...
Mamdani Called Trump to Criticize Venezuela Strikes
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Reposted by Larry Glickman