NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Haake discusses White House coverage at FOIFT luncheon

While describing the atmosphere in covering the Trump administration, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Garrett Haake pointed out that Donald Trump is the only U.S. president in the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. He described covering the Oval Office as a wrestling match where one “might get hit with a proverbial steel chair.”

During his keynote speech at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas (FOIFT) John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon Haake discussed his career covering presidential campaigns and his work covering what the Trump administration calls the “most transparent administration in history.”

He noted true transparency is limited due to the president’s often off-script comments, the administration’s shifting of media pools and intimidation tactics. He said the administration has changed how White House media pools are formed by taking slots away from independent wire services and assigning those slots to ideologically aligned outlets. (He spoke at the FOIFT event before the Trump Administration banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from covering the White House.)

Despite the restrictions, Haake noted that ambitious journalists continue reporting and breaking major stories. He cited the Washington Post’s investigation revealing a decoy jet was used to secretly fly the president out of Turkey. Even though those specific reporters had been barred from entering the physical Pentagon building, their reliance on paper trails and strict source-building allowed them to “nail the story so perfectly that the White House could not deny it,” he said.

While acknowledging that public insults from the administration are frequent — and that female colleagues bear the brunt of the hostility — Haake regarded these outbursts as a strategic metric. In his experience, the topics the president gets most angry about (such as questions regarding Jeffrey Epstein) serve as a clear “tell” that the reporter is very close to the mark.

Haake fielded questions from the audience regarding the upcoming mid-term elections, how reporters navigate the administration’s hostile environment and secrecy in the “most transparent administration in history.”

Haake highlighted a widespread expectation in official Washington, and among major corporate interests, that Republicans will likely lose control of at least one chamber in the midterms. He stated that while a path exists for Republicans to keep complete control, it would require a “shoot the moon” scenario where every single lucky break goes their way.

He noted that the White House is paying very close attention to Texas, especially in the U.S. Senate race. Trump’s endorsement is credited with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s primary defeat of incumbent GOP Senator John Cornyn. Now, Paxton faces strong opposition from Democrat James Talarico in the general election. In contrasting the two candidates, Haake called Paxton a “deeply flawed candidate” whom the GOP will have to spend tens of millions of dollars to “drag to victory,” which he described as similar to the movie “Breakfast at Bernie’s.”

Haake emphasized that Trump must be treated like any other source. Because Trump often wants to speak off the record or provides conflicting details, Haake said he has established strict protocols for his own protection in communicating with the president. Haake said he ensures that he is always in a one-party consent state to record the calls or has another colleague present to avoid post-call arguments with the White House press office. He noted that “peak Trump phone call” may have passed, as media outlets pulled back from scrambling over ephemeral micro-scoops.

Haake has strong ties to Texas, where his parents reside. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Southern Methodist University. In addition to covering the White House, he has served as NBC News’ senior Capitol Hill correspondent on all the network’s platforms – broadcast, streaming and digital – and has covered multiple presidential elections. He covered all three of President Trump’s campaigns.