Leaked Docs Reveal Trump’s Schedule Secret

By Staff, News Agencies

“Executive time” refers to periods when US President Donald Trump is watching television, tweeting or talking on the phone. In practicality, things turn out to be a bit more complicated.

Trump has spent more than half of his last three months in what White House staffers describe as "executive time," a term that combines periods when the president watches television, tweets or talks on the phone, according to leaked presidential schedules obtained by Axios.

According to Axios's six unnamed sources, Trump is an early riser, usually waking before 5 a.m., often spending the first five hours of each day in the residence "watching TV, reading the papers, and responding to what he sees and reads by phoning aides, members of Congress, friends, administration officials and informal advisers".

This information appears to refute official White House schedules that place the POTUS in the Oval Office between 8-11 a.m.

Some days, "executive time" can take the entire day, according to Axios, but does not necessarily mean that the president spends his time pleasantly procrastinating.

"He's always calling people, talking to people," a senior White House official told the news website. "He's always up to something; it's just not what you would consider typical structure."

Often, Trump holds meetings during his executive time, either due to a spur-of-the-moment decision, or fears that plans will be leaked.

Sometimes, Trump's mornings include calls with heads of state, political meetings and in-person meetings with lawyers which are not on the published schedules, Axios reports.

Everyone — from scholars to White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders — admits that Trump's handling of his schedule is not like any other US president.

"The most important asset in any presidency is the president's time," says Chris Whipple, a student of presidential schedules and author of a book on White House chiefs of staff.

This assessment is echoed by an official response from White House spokeswoman Sanders, who said that "President Trump has a different leadership style than his predecessors”.