Trump ducks media, cites bad weather despite clear skies as he leaves for Iowa

President Trump departed the White House on Thursday for a trip to Iowa and Illinois without facing the news media, citing bad weather despite clear skies in the nation’s capital. 

The president typically reaches Air Force One by taking a helicopter from the White House to Joint Base Andrews, a setting that allows the media to shout questions while he walks across the South Lawn. Trump often stops to take those questions. 

{mosads}But White House aides informed the press corps Trump would motorcade to Andrews due to “bad weather,” a setting that makes the president unavailable to take questions. 

The motorcade is used when weather conditions make it unsafe for the president to fly on the Marine One helicopter. But it was 77 degrees and partly cloudy at the time of Trump’s departure at 9:21 a.m., according to AccuWeather.

When pressed by reporters, the White House cited “fog” as the reason for the bad-weather call. A “weather watch” advisory on Joint Base Andrews’s website said the base is “open for normal operations.” 

Several White House reporters posted photos of clear skies following the White House’s announcement.

View from my office window as the White House makes a bad weather call – meaning the president will take a car to Andrews, rather than depart via his helicopter from the South Lawn where reporters can gather to shout questions at him. pic.twitter.com/csRYnCmbGI

— Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) July 26, 2018

There is a bad weather call on Trump’s departure – so no questions today. pic.twitter.com/hEraTo4jbK

— Geoff Earle (@GeoffEarle) July 26, 2018

The decision comes as tensions are running high between the White House and the press corps.

The White House on Wednesday barred CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from covering a public appearance by Trump in response to questions she asked of the president at an availability earlier that day.