A Philadelphia coffee maker has joined the ranks of people sending gifts to the White House Press Corps.
Todd Carmichael, chief executive officer of La Colombe, sent a package of coffee beans with a letter of encouragement to the press corps as it covers President Donald Trump and his administration.
The gift followed that of several others, including actor Tom Hanks, who made news for sending an espresso machine. Hanks attached a message reading "Keep up the good fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Especially for the Truth part."
Carmichael attached his own letter mimicking that of the Academy Award-winning actor.
"I second Mr. Hanks' note," Carmichael wrote. "This coffee should do the trick. Keep fighting for the truth."
Throughout his first six weeks in office, Trump regularly has criticized the media, often declaring stories critical of his administration as "fake news."
At one point, the White House refused to let reporters from the BBC, CNN, New York Times and BuzzFeed, among other major news outlets, to enter a press briefing. That prompted reporters from the Associated Press, Time and USA Today to boycott the briefing.
Carmichael, a Montgomery County resident, said the United States has entered a time when "facts are not always facts" and a free press is needed to help the country "avoid falling into the darkness of autocracy."
“When I read that Mr. Hanks had sent an espresso machine to the White House Press Corps, I wanted to make sure they had great coffee to drink with it," Carmichael said in a statement. "We need the press to be alert and vigilant, and the best way I know how to help with that is to send them great tasting coffee.”