ANALYSIS | All week, reporters at the White House have waited for the announcement over the loudspeaker instructing the day’s press pool to report for duty pronto for unplanned presidential remarks. But, so far, the speaker has remained mostly silent — just like President Donald Trump.

Even during a term that has featured — at the time, at least — what felt like consequential weeks, this one quickly took on a different feel.

Other than brief remarks over the loud engines of Air Force One on Monday morning, a president who has effectively counterprogrammed negative media coverage, questionable policy moves, bitter West Wing staff departures and even the opening weeks of an impeachment has retreated from reporters’ questions.

Frequently, the president speaks to journalists during planned and impromptu question-and-answer sessions in the Oval Office and other spots around the White House. Not so this week.

The next chance for reporters to ask the president about testimony from current National Security Council and administration officials that appear to corroborate a whistleblower’s account of his July 25 call with Ukraine’s new leader could be late Friday afternoon.