After spending most of the year attacking the media’s credibility, President Donald Trump gave brief, but friendly, welcoming remarks to a large turnout of reporters and editors at his White House Christmas party on Friday afternoon. Those in attendance described the event as, in many ways, like any other White House holiday party — though, given the news of a plea deal by Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn earlier in the day, one with a surreal cloud hanging over the affair. Following his remarks, which lasted two minutes, Trump spent another two or three minutes shaking hands near the front of the crowd before leaving, according to attendees. In previous years, presidents have stayed usually for about two hours to take pictures with media members.
