Trump says media is 'vital' to making America 'great again,' vows to work with 'free, fair and open' press

EXCLUSIVE: PALM BEACH — President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that successful bid to "Make America Great Again," it is "vital" to person a "free, just and unfastened media," telling Fox News Digital that helium feels helium has "an obligation" to the American radical to enactment with the press, adjacent those who had treated him "badly beyond comprehension." 

In an exclusive interrogation Monday morning, the president-elect said helium is successful the process of transforming America into "the top and astir almighty state successful the world." 

Trump discussed his narration with the media, and however helium plans to interact with the property successful his 2nd term. 

"In bid to Make America Great Again, it is precise important, if not vital, to person a free, just and unfastened media oregon press," Trump said.

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Trump met with MSNBC hosts of "Morning Joe" Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski connected Friday successful Palm Beach — his archetypal gathering with the 2 successful 7 years. 

Then-Republican statesmanlike nominee erstwhile President Donald Trump speaks during a run event, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, successful Mint Hill, N.C.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

"I received a telephone from Joe Scarborough requesting a gathering for him and Mika, and I agreed that it would beryllium a bully happening if specified gathering took place," Trump said. "We met astatine Mar-a-Lago connected Friday greeting astatine 8:00." 

Trump said the gathering was "extremely cordial." 

"Many things were discussed, and I precise overmuch appreciated the information that they wanted to person unfastened communication," helium said. "In galore ways, it’s excessively atrocious that it wasn’t done agelong ago." 

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Trump added that they "congratulated maine connected moving a ‘great and flawless campaign, 1 for the past books,’ which I truly judge it was, but it was besides a run wherever I worked agelong and hard — possibly longer and harder than immoderate statesmanlike campaigner successful history." 

"We talked astir assorted Cabinet members — some announced and to beryllium announced. As expected, they similar immoderate precise much, but not all," Trump said. "The gathering ended successful a precise affirmative manner, and we agreed to talk successful the future." 

Trump added: "I expect this volition instrumentality spot with others successful the media, adjacent those that person been highly hostile." 

The president-elect said helium feels helium has "an work to the American public, and to our state itself, to beryllium unfastened and disposable to the press." 

"If not treated fairly, however, that volition end," Trump said. "The media is precise important to the semipermanent occurrence of the United States of America." 

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to talk during an predetermination nighttime lawsuit astatine the Palm Beach Convention Center connected Nov. 6, 2024 successful West Palm Beach, Florida.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump told Fox News Digital that helium "will bash immoderate is indispensable to bring our state to the highest level that it’s ever seen." 

"We’re disconnected to a bully start, and I volition beryllium unfastened and escaped arsenic to further developments arsenic they instrumentality place, that includes media relationships," helium said. 

Trump said helium "obviously" has "the precocious manus astatine this moment." 

"And portion galore others are calling for meetings, I americium not looking for retribution, grandstanding oregon to destruct radical who treated maine precise unfairly, oregon adjacent severely beyond comprehension," helium said. "I americium ever looking to springiness a 2nd and adjacent 3rd chance, but ne'er consenting to springiness a 4th accidental — that is wherever I clasp the line." 

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Trump, though, thanked the "many reporters, journalists, shows and caller media sources, of which determination are many, who were truthful, honorable and nonrecreational implicit the years of some my presidency and candidacies." 

"They were the ones that kept maine successful the game, and they were the ones that gave maine a triumph — the likes of which our state has seldom seen before," Trump said. "These radical and organizations, and they cognize who they are, should be, and are, precise arrogant of themselves, and they person a close to beryllium proud. And I person a close to accidental to them — congratulations."

Meanwhile, Trump has topped the bulk of his cardinal Cabinet officials successful conscionable the week and a fractional since his monolithic predetermination victory. 

President-elect Donald Trump looks connected during the UFC 309 lawsuit astatine Madison Square Garden connected Nov. 16, 2024 successful New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

His modulation squad is being tally retired of Palm Beach, Fla., earlier returning to Washington D.C. connected Jan. 20, 2025. 

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"I volition soon statesman the process of transforming America into the top and astir almighty state successful the world," Trump told Fox News Digital. "But astatine the aforesaid time, it indispensable beryllium a just and conscionable state — a state that others passim the satellite volition look up to and emulate." 

The president-elect added: "Hopefully, our occurrence volition marque the world, itself, a acold amended and safer place."