Donald Trump has renewed his fight with the American media, criticizing the New York Times, ducking reporters to visit a restaurant and turning to Twitter as a means of direct communication.

The US president-elect even appeared to allude to his reality TV show The Apprentice as he denied reports that his transition process is in turmoil and plagued by infighting.

Trump waged an unprecedented one-man war against the media during his election campaign, banning some organisations from his rallies and regularly inciting his supporters to boo and jeer reporters. He used Twitter, on which he has more than 15 million followers, to berate his critics and throw out often incendiary statements.

Not even his elevated status as president-elect appears to have changed his habits. Whereas Barack Obama gave his first press conference three days after his election in 2008, Trump is yet to do so, instead giving a primetime TV interview and unleashing a barrage of tweets, yet again taking the US presidency into uncharted waters.

“Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions,” he posted on Twitter late on Tuesday. “I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!”



His reference to “the finalists” seemed to deliberately evoke The Apprentice, in which contestants battled each other for a chance to work at his business and he told those who fell short: “You’re fired!”

The Twitter storm resumed early on Wednesday morning when he denied media reports that his three adult children – Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka – would be receiving security clearances, raising potential conflicts of interest. “I am not trying to get ‘top level security clearance’ for my children. This was a typically false news story.”

And then he singled out the New York Times, which during the campaign revealed how he may have avoided paying taxes for 18 years and which endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. This week the paper has reported on disarray in the transition and said that, while the presidents of Egypt and Israel got through to Trump quickly by phone, UK prime minister Theresa May had to wait 24 hours.

New York mayor Bill de Blasio talks to the press in front of Trump Tower after meetings with the president-elect on Wednesday. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

“The failing @nytimes story is so totally wrong on transition,” Trump tweeted. “It is going so smoothly. Also, I have spoken to many foreign leaders.”



He added: “I have recieved [sic] and taken calls from many foreign leaders despite what the failing @nytimes said. Russia, U.K., China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and more. I am always available to them. @nytimes is just upset that they looked like fools in their coverage of me.”

His decision to mention Russia first will not have escaped critics of Trump’s apparent admiration for president Vladimir Putin. The New York Times pointed out that it had reported that Trump had taken calls from the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Russia and Britain, but said they had been “conducted haphazardly” and without the state department guidance that is typical for such conversations.

Trump’s shoot-from-the-hip style was met with criticism. David Frum, a former speechwriter for George W Bush, tweeted: “It will never stop being insane that the president-elect of the United States foams at his critics on Twitter.”

It is fine to publish a list of foreign leaders who called to congratulate him, Frum added: “But to toss names out there in a Twitter rage to answer a perceived media slight?! When does President Trump compromise an important secret?”

Further concerns were raised about Trump’s handling of the media when he broke with protocol on Tuesday night, going out to dinner at a steakhouse after his transition team had told journalists he would not be out in public the rest of the day. Trump reportedly received a standing ovation and cheers on arriving at 21 Club in midtown Manhattan.

The White House Correspondents’ Association said it was “unacceptable” that Trump was traveling without a regular pool of journalists to inform the public of his whereabouts. A protective pool of journalists is supposed to join the president or president-elect’s motorcade to record their whereabouts and be on hand in the event of breaking news.

The Trump team has said it plans to respect the traditions of press access at the White House. Jeff Mason, president of the White House Correspondents Association, insisted: “The time to act on that promise is now. Pool reporters are in place in New York to cover the president-elect as he assembles his new administration. It is critical that they be allowed to do their jobs.”

On Wednesday, Jason Miller, a spokesperson for Trump, admitted that there was room for improvement. “Last night probably was an example where there could have been a little bit better communication,” he told reporters. “But again, our goal going forward is to get you guys the best information in a timely fashion.

“But I would also say – would also stand up for the president-elect and say that, for some in the media, unless they’re actually sitting at the table, seeing if he’s getting the chicken or the fish, that they will never be happy. And there always needs to be some kind of balance for respecting some degree of privacy. But to your initial point, we do think that there will be improved communication and our goal is to make sure that something like last night doesn’t happen again.”

Asked when the billionaire businessman would do a press conference, Kellyanne Conway, his campaign manager, replied: “Shortly, I would say. Some time soon. But obviously he’s meeting with – talking to heads of state and possible members of his cabinet and senior team, filling out his senior leadership team. A lot of activity going on upstairs.”

On a conference call with reporters Wednesday night, Miller and RNC strategist Sean Spicer announced that landing teams would be deployed in the coming days to start the transition process and noted that all of those joining landing teams would sign a pledge to not serve as a lobbyist at the federal and state level for the next five years.

They also noted several of the meetings that the president-elect had held with potential cabinet members on Wednesday, including senator Jeff Sessions, general Mike Flynn, representative Tom Price, representativeMike Pompeo and charter school leader Eva Moskowitz. They added that Trump is expected to meet Thursday with governor Nikki Haley, governor Rick Scott and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, among others.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich said the media would have to adapt to Trump’s “hands-on CEO” style. “It probably confuses the traditional political press because they apply traditional standards and you can’t do that with Trump,” he told Fox News.



Gingrich added that he was “100%” sure he did not want a cabinet post as transition talks continued at Trump Tower, where the tycoon’s second wife, Marla Maples, was spotted on Tuesday afternoon.

The departure of former US representative Mike Rogers as a national security adviser followed the removal of New Jersey governor Chris Christie as head of Trump’s transition team in favour of Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, who did not sign a memorandum of understanding with Barack Obama’s White House until Tuesday night. The appointment of Steve Bannon, a media executive accused of far-right ties, and the role of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner have fuelled discontent.

On Wednesday Bernie Sanders, the leftwing Democrat who ran against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary, called the appointment of Bannon “totally unacceptable”.

“In a democratic society we can disagree all we want over issues, but racism and bigotry cannot be part of any public policy,” Sanders aid. “The appointment of Mr Bannon by Mr Trump must be rescinded.”

Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani appears to be haggling for the prize job of secretary of state. But the transition team is reviewing Giuliani’s paid consulting work for foreign governments including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, the Associated Press reported.

He is also under scrutiny over speeches he made on behalf of the Mujahideen-e Khalq, a fringe Iranian dissident group. The group, which operates in exile, was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US state department in 1997 for its long and bloody history, including its involvement in the killing of Americans in Iran in the 1970s. Speaking fees paid by several MEK front groups to Giuliani and other politicians potentially broke laws on Americans receiving money from designated terrorist organisations.

Another visitor to Trump Tower on Wednesday was current New York mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat. He said he wanted to give Trump a feel of concerns everyone is feeling about his presidency. “I talked to him about concerns of potential deportations, I gave him the perspective of the NYPD [New York police department],” De Blasio said, describing New York “the ultimate city of immigrants.”



There are more than 900 Muslim members of the NYPD, the mayor said, and citizens rely on their willingness to protect the city. “I let him know that so many New Yorkers were fearful and that more had to be done to show that this country can heal, that people be respected.”

De Blasio added: “Even though I have very real differences with the president-elect, he is a New Yorker, I do think he loves this city.”



