Stephen King challenges White House to hold a press briefing — with $150k on the line

This story has been updated to include a response from White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.

Author Stephen King announced on Twitter he would donate $75,000 if the White House holds a press briefing this week.

King joined a challenge issued by fellow author Don Winslow Wednesday, with both of them donating a total of $150,000 in White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham’s name if she holds a one -hour press conference with the full White House press corps.

But Grisham told CNN’s Jake Tapper that “donations to charity should never come with strings attached”

“If you have $200,000 to play with,” she reportedly said, “why not just help children because it’s a good thing to do?”

It has been 303 days — not the 301 that Winslow referenced in his original tweet — since the White House last held an official press briefing. This comes amid rising tensions with Iran, a devastating earthquake in Puerto Rico and the ongoing impeachment process.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper pointed out the lack of a briefing in an address Monday, saying “your taxpayer dollars are indeed paying Ms. Grisham to avoid you.”

In a tweet posted last January, President Trump said his previous Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had been avoiding the podium because “the press covers her so rudely and inaccurately.”

The New York Times previously reported that the Obama administration held an average of at least ten briefings per month.

Stephanie Grisham has not responded to King and Winslow’s challenge on social media. Winslow said on Twitter the money would be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Stephen King challenges White House to hold a press briefing — with $150k on the line."