Trump extends post-midterm media blitz with C-SPAN call

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump made an unexpected eight-minute call to C-SPAN's "Washington Journal Primetime," discussing topics such as immigration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the Iran war, while expressing interest in viewer call-ins to gauge public sentiment.
• Earlier the same day, Trump appeared in the White House briefing room for the first time in 198 days, jokingly offering UFC CEO Dana White the vacant press secretary position amid a difficult press day.
• Following the Republicans' midterm election defeat, Trump has made several surprise public appearances, including a visit last Wednesday to the White House ballroom construction site where he distanced himself from the party's losses.
• Trump claimed that if he had been on the ballot, Republicans would have won, despite Democrats gaining control of both the House and Senate in the November 3 elections, setting up a divided government starting in January.
• The former president has a history of direct media engagement, frequently making live calls to television programs and contacting journalists by phone to share his views and respond to coverage.