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U.S. President Donald Trump rips into the media for being "out of control" and says "this administration is running like a fine-tuned machine." (Reuters)

Donald Trump entered the East Room on Thursday reeling from a week filled with resignations, withdrawals and continued questions surrounding his campaign's contacts with Russia.

What followed was an hour-long, full-throated attack on Trump's favorite foil: the media.

Many of our nation's reporters will not tell you the truth, Trump said.

The press honestly is out of control, Trump said.

The level of dishonesty is out of control, Trump said.

And that was before he even took a single question!

It was a return for Trump to what worked for him during the course of the 2016 campaign: A circuslike atmosphere in which he uses the media and his supporters' distrust of the media as a sort of tackling dummy to re-center the narrative on ground more favorable to him. Trump didn't just run down the media although he did a lot of that but he also mocked various outlets, reviewed shows on cable TV that he likes (and doesn't), told reporters to sit down and be quiet, and critiqued the quality of the questions he was being asked.

There was a rawness to his attacks, a personal invective that seemed well beyond the typically antagonistic relationship that exists between the media and the president they cover.

Why do it? Because Trump understands something very important: For his supporters, the media represent everything they dislike about American society. The media is composed, to their mind, of Ivy-League-educated coastal elites who look down their noses at the average person, dismissing them and their views as stupid and ill-informed. For people who feel like their voices weren't and aren't heard in politics or culture more broadly the media is the perfect scapegoat.

The media were the ones who told you Obamacare was great. The media were the ones who didn't report that Hillary Clinton got all the debate questions in advance. The media were the ones who said I couldn't win. The media is lying to you now because they don't want you to know all the good things I am doing.

And the truth is that Trump's broadside against the terrible dishonesty of the media will leave lots of heads nodding around the country. This tweet, from conservative commentator Matt Lewis nails that:

And remember that trust in the media is at or near its lowest ebb.

Trump's appeal to voters is, and always has been, how he is able to speak to them on an emotional rather than an intellectual level. He got people angry and worried in the 2016 campaign and they voted on it. They went to the polls feeling as though the stakes were literally catastrophic; elect anyone other than Trump and watch the world burn.

One example of that appeal in Trump's press conference today. Early on, NBC's Peter Alexander called Trump out on his inaccurate claim that he had won the biggest electoral college victory of any president since Ronald Reagan. "Well, I don't know, I was given that information," Trump responded. "I was given I actually, I've seen that information around. But it was a very substantial victory, do you agree with that?"

For many politicians, that would be a bad very bad moment, caught misstating facts. But Trump knows that his appeal isn't based on whether he got the exact facts on his electoral college margin right. It's on the fact that he won big league. And who cares if he was wrong? It's the media nitpicking him to death, after all.

It's not surprising, then, that at the nadir of his early days as president, Trump is returning to a raw and uncut attack on the media. Trump is like a comedian, forever refining his beats. He knows that if he picks on a certain guy in the audience, the rest of the crowd is going to go bananas cause they don't like the guy, either. The more personal he gets, the more they love it.

I won't try to tackle whether that is a good or bad thing for democracy or our culture in this space today. But what I will say is that Trump's decision, amid turmoil inside and outside his White House, to turn his fire on the media was a deeply predictable move.

It's also one that will almost certainly succeed in changing the subject from Russia and Mike Flynn.

Trump knows all that. It's why he did it.

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Donald Trump delivers a series of raw and personal attacks on the media in a news conference for the ages - Washington Post

The President embraced the opportunity to talk about the first lady, who has not spent much time in the public eye since her husband assumed office almost four weeks ago, and to defend her against some of her critics.

"I think she is a great representative for this country, and a funny thing happens. She gets so unfairly maligned," said Trump. "The things they say, and I have known her for a long time, the things they say are so unfair."

Melania Trump has been falsely accused of working for an escort service -- a charge she defended herself against in court, winning one of the cases, and continuing her fight against another outlet.

"I'll tell you this, she is going to be a fantastic first lady, she is going to be a tremendous representative of women," Trump said.

Trump added he has full confidence in his wife's ability to handle the role, saying she feels "very, very strongly about women's issues, women's difficulties ... (she will be a) very, very strong advocate."

He also indicated Melania Trump will not be alone in her efforts.

"Helping her and working with her will be Ivanka (Trump), who is a fabulous person, and a fabulous, fabulous woman," he said. "They aren't doing this for money, they aren't doing this for pay, they are doing this because they feel it, both of them."

The President again confirmed the first lady, along with the couple's 10-year-old son, Barron, will be moving to the White House when the youngest Trump finishes his school year in New York City.

"It is hard to take a child out of school with a few months left," Trump said.

On Wednesday, Melania Trump performed her first official duties at the White House, hosting the wife of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and accompanying her on a visit to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The first lady later tweeted out her thanks and appreciation, using a new hashtag that has so far accompanied a handful of her most recent tweets: #PowerOfTheFirstLady.

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Donald Trump calls treatment of first lady unfair - CNN

New York Times

Donald Trump, NATO, Boeing: Your Thursday Briefing New York Times President Trump may ask Stephen A. Feinberg, a billionaire investor and a member of his economic advisory council, to lead an assessment of spy operations. The possibility has top intelligence officials on edge and fearing that a review by a Trump ally ... and more »

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Donald Trump, NATO, Boeing: Your Thursday Briefing - New York Times

Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up before boarding Marine One on his way to Mar-a-Lago on February 3, 2017.

By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

President Donald Trumps first month in office has been dogged by one misstep after anotherbotched executive orders and attacks on the judiciary, punctuated by bizarre, and often inappropriate, boasting about the size of his electoral victory and inauguration crowd. He has done little to address the cavalcade of scandals that have already become a defining feature of his presidency, from the shadow of intrigue hanging over his campaigns dealings with Russia to his undiplomatic threats against U.S. allies, derailing any momentum on his inchoate legislative agenda. Theres an inquiry into his ownership of the Trump International Hotel just down Pennsylvania Avenue, a call to discipline his counselor Kellyanne Conway for giving his daughter Ivankas brand a free commercial on Fox News, and an investigation underway about whether or not theres enough security in place at Mar-a-Lago after the president decided to review national-security documents on a terrace at the Palm Beach resort last weekend in plain view of prying dinner guests.

Still, there is some good news for Trump and his personal brand, if not for his already embattled administration. According to ABC News, Trump received a big, fat gift from China this week in the form of a 10-year trademark on his name for construction.

RELATED VIDEO: Steve Bannon, the Shadow President

The award marks a sudden reversal of fortunes for Trump, who had reportedly been trying to win the valuable rights to his name for a decade. Interestingly, the Chinese government came through for him one month after he took the oath of office and a week after his conversation with Chinese president Xi Jinping during which he endorsed the One China policy. After years of battling to take back the rights to his name from a man named Dong Wei, Trumps registration was made official on Tuesday and announced by Chinas trademark office on Wednesday.

There are several problems with this. First, it is easy to see how the approval of the Trump Organizations application can be viewed as a foreign government giving favorable treatment to a presidents business, even though Trump has allegedly removed himself from day-to-day operations. His two adult sons still run the company, and since he did not divest, he still benefits from any financial gains. Second, with that financial benefit, ethics experts note that this could be leverage for the Chinese government to use over the president. And third, despite the fact that most conflict-of-interest laws dont apply to the president, such a ruling from the Chinese government may violate the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits a president from accepting any gift or anything of value from a foreign government or entity. A trademark, whichTrump appeared to value for a decade, could be perceived as unconstitutional.

Its fair to conclude that this is an effort to influence Mr. Trump that is relatively inexpensive for the Chinese.

Trumps attorneys in China say the ruling in his favor was made on the strength of his legal claim, not his position. It is not possible that President Trump got favors from Chinese government, Zhou Dandan of Unitalen Attorneys at Law in Beijing told The Washington Post. Alan Garten, chief legal officer at the Trump Organization, told the Associated Press that Trumps trademark application predated the election. The Chinese government has also recently tightened its standards for intellectual property rights, including issuing new rules forbidding people like Dong Wei from trademarking the names of public figures, like Trump.

Critics see an attempt by Beijing to use its influence over Trumps business dealings to control the president. There can be no question that it is a terrible idea for Donald Trump to be accepting the registration of these valuable property rights from China while hes a sitting president of the United States, Norman Eisen, a former White House ethics lawyer for President Barack Obama, told the AP. Its fair to conclude that this is an effort to influence Mr. Trump that is relatively inexpensive for the Chinese, potentially very valuable to him, but it could be very costly for the United States.

Eisen is among a group of former White House lawyers, constitutional scholars, and prominent litigators currently suing the president over foreign governments paying to stay at his hotels and renting space at his office buildings. The group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, alleges that accepting such payments violates the Emoluments Clause. (Trumps lawyer has stated that it does not, because hotel payments are a fair value exchange, and that cannot be considered an emolument.)

However the lawsuit proceeds, this is a question Trump is likely to face repeatedly throughout his presidency. In China alone, ABC reports, Trump has 49 pending trademark applications and 77 already registered, most of which will come up for renewal while he is in office. At the same time, the Trump Organization is planning to expand its hotel footprint across the U.S., which means more opportunities for foreign governments to try to curry favor with the Trump family by booking rooms and banquets.

The silver lining, and there arent many, is that there is so much chaos surrounding President Trump and his administration that an ethically ambiguous trademark approval easily gets swallowed up. At least business is moving forward just fine.

This article has been updated.

Losing to wind next to his helicopter in Scotland.

Losing to wind at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Losing to wind as he heads to Indiana.

Losing to wind while hes in Scotland to discuss bankrolling an anti-wind-farm campaign in order to fight an off-shore development near his luxury golf resort.

Losing to wind in the presence of Tom Brady.

Losing to wind while waving.

Putting up a good fight but ultimately losing to wind in Scotland.

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Losing to wind next to his helicopter in Scotland.

By Michael McGurk/Alamy.

Losing to wind at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

By Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images.

Losing to wind as he heads to Indiana.

By Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.

Losing to wind while hes in Scotland to discuss bankrolling an anti-wind-farm campaign in order to fight an off-shore development near his luxury golf resort.

By Danny Lawson/PA/A.P.

Losing to wind while he talks to Patriots owner Robert Kraft before a game.

From Splash News.

Losing to wind at the house on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, where his mother was born before she immigrated to the United States in 1929.

From PA/Alamy.

Losing to wind while boarding the Marine One helicopter at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

By Jonathan Ernst/Reuters.

Losing to wind while leaving One World Trade in New York.

By Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.

Losing to wind in the presence of Tom Brady.

From Boston Herald/Splash News.

Losing to wind while waving.

By Rob Carr/Getty Images.

Putting up a good fight but ultimately losing to wind in Scotland.

By Michael McGurk/Rex/Shutterstock.

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Donald Trump May Have Just Committed an Impeachable Offense - Vanity Fair

On Thursday, President Trump nominated a law school dean as the next secretary of labor after his first choice for the job went down in flames.

R. Alexander Acosta, currently the dean of Florida International University College of Law, served as assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice under President George W. Bush. Acosta is the first Hispanic person nominated to Trumps cabinet.

I just want to begin by mentioning that the nominee for secretary of the Department of Labor will be Mr. Alex Acosta, Trump said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. He has a law degree from Harvard Law School, great student. Former clerk for Justice Samuel Alito. Hes had a tremendous career.

The candidacy of Trumps first choice, Andrew Puzder, collapsed amid a series of high-profile scandals. Puzder withdrew his candidacy on Wednesday after several Senate Republicans said theyd refuse to support him.

Acosta should have an easier time getting through. His CV suggests a relatively typical path to the top of the federal bureaucracy Harvard University; Harvard Law School; clerk on the US Court of Appeals; years in the Department of Justice; work on labor issues for a Washington, DC, law firm.

Acosta also served from 2002 to 2003 on the National Labor Relations Board. He has already been confirmed by the Senate for federal position on three separate occasions, according to his website. The contrast with Puzder a fast-food CEO who had no record of public service, embraced salacious ads of bikini-clad models gorging on burgers, and faced accusations of assaulting his ex-wife could hardly be more stark.

Few Senate Democrats had reacted publicly to Acostas selection shortly after news of it broke Thursday afternoon.

An early look at Acostas record suggests theyll be torn.

The Civil Rights Division under George W. Bush has become a watchword for progressives a model of what conservatives do with parts of the federal government they dont like. The division deemphasized some kinds of cases (like voting rights) and "hired lawyers for career positions based on their political or ideological affiliations, in the words of a DOJ Office of the Inspector General report from 2009.

Acosta didnt direct the politicization of the Civil Rights Division, according to the inspector general that was done by one of his underlings, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bradley Schlozman. But Acosta certainly failed to stop it. The report concludes that Acosta "did not sufficiently supervise Schlozman, despite red flags about Schlozmans conduct and judgment."

Still, other parts of Acostas record appear likely to comfort Democrats. As Reuters notes, Acosta pursued high-profile defendants such as Jack Abramoff and the Swiss bank UBS while the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

And Acosta is already winning praise in left-leaning circles on Twitter for a speech he gave to Congress in 2011 about the importance of protecting the civil rights of American Muslims. Particularly given liberal fears about how Trumps attorney general will go after the rights of minorities, Acostas words about the necessity of prosecuting perpetrators of hate crimes against Muslims may offer some solace:

Starting in September 2001, the Department of Justice took great effort to address post-9/11 backlash against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, and others, who though members of different faiths (such as Sikh Americans) were nonetheless the target of backlash.

From 2001 through early 2005, the Department investigated more than 630 backlash incidents, which resulted in nearly 150 state and local prosecutions (many with federal assistance), and the federal prosecution of 27 defendants in 22 cases. Some were particularly violent. ...

These efforts following 9/11 were important. They set a tone. They reminded those who might be tempted to take out their anger on an entire community that such actions were wrong.

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Donald Trump just named his next labor secretary nominee - Vox