confirmation hearings, to the swearing-in, all on c-span, c-span.org, or listen of the free c-span radio app. c-span recently sat down with white house press secretary sarah sanders to talk about the job interactions with the media, and the president's communication style. she talked about her initial reaction to being asked to leave a virginia restaurant last month while with her family. from the white house, this is 20 minutes. >> sarah sanders, as you approach the one-year mark, what is the biggest challenge? sarah sanders: being away from my family, that is the hardest thing, the job is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and never stops. that is tough, i have three

young kids and a husband who still like me, a good thing. they want to be around me more often than i get to be there. for me that is the hardest part of the job. >> in terms of how you prepare, what is the process right now? sarah sanders: a number of things that play into the prep process. certainly the most important is talking directly to the president and being able to do my best to accurately reflect his thinking on any number of issues. it is so wide-ranging and anything is on the table. you have to try to cover as much as possible. one of the other things is the daily prep of being in the room as meetings are taking place and decisions being made. you understand some of the background story on how we got to a decision, and the decision itself. those are big parts of it. we have an incredible team i work with. usually anywhere from one hour to two hours ahead of the briefing to try to walk through

what questions we think -- at least what topics we think will be covered. and do our best to prepare to make sure we have good information to relay to the press and to the people. >> it is safe to say you will rehearse how you answer the questions? sarah sanders: more like a murder board session. more like game it out, sometimes we get it right and sometimes we get it wrong. you have to be a little bit prepared for all the questions that you never saw coming. that can sometimes be a little bit more challenging. >> the president is right down the hall. does he watch the briefings? sarah sanders: sometimes, but he is kind of a busy guy. because they take clips of it and play it throughout the day into the evening, sometimes into , the next day, even if he does not watch, he may see clips of it later on. >> martha kumar who keeps close track of the briefings, she

pointed out your briefings average about 15 to 18 minutes, far shorter than your predecessors. why? sarah sanders: i do not take as long to get to the point, i answer almost as many questions as my predecessors, and we engage with the press in a lot of different ways. the press briefing has changed a lot even since the president has , come into office. before president trump, you often did not see the press briefing taken in its entirety on all of the cable networks. now that is a pretty common thing. being able to consolidate that out is important. but also, we have a president that is extremely accessible and i always feel like people would rather hear from the president than from me. as much as we can highlight what he is doing throughout the day, whether he is giving a speech are doing a roundtable bringing , the press into those events is far more important to see than

see me. we respond to a number of reporters' questions and do a lot on camera interviews with the team. as well as back and forth with the ability to email all day, everyday. we are constantly putting out information and getting information to the press so they can write stories and help them through a number of different formats and venues. the briefing is just one way for us to do that. >> let me pick up on that there point. is a lot that happens beyond the briefing. walk us through a typical day in terms of how you feed the beast. how you feed the white house press corps beyond the briefing. sarah sanders: a typical day is hard to describe because it is the white house to we do not have a lot of typical days. often the mornings starts with the morning shows, anchors or producers calling early in the morning checking in to talk , about his of the day. get the white house's thinking. they can start as early as 5:00 in the morning and go well into

8:00 in the morning, people prepping for their hit. also our staff here getting ready to do morning tv, they check in to make sure they have everything they need before they go out. that is usually kind of the first thing. we come in and have a series of morning staff meetings to talk about the schedule and message of the day. what is driving the news and how we are responding to different things. reporters -- i have meetings with reporters throughout the day regularly. calls. plus, we have a pretty unique situation in the white house that i think is probably different from most any other government. i have met with a lot of my counterparts and they are amazed the press can walk up and stop in my office. they do that a lot and ask questions. they do that with all of our press team. so that happens from the moment

, we get here until the moment we go home. we do a lot of individual one-on-one interaction. depending on whether or not the president has open press or pooled event, or we are traveling, those things can play into what the day looks like. >> complete this sentence -- the state of the white house press relations with this president is what? sarah sanders: i would say interesting. it is a constant give-and-take. i think certainly the tension could be lower and i have made attempts to try to do that. it is always going to be a little bit of friction between the white house and the white house press corps. it has always existed. i think it is probably at a heightened level in this white house. and i think there is heightened attention paid to this white house and to this president.

again i would like to see it be , a little better at times. it certainly -- it has always existed and i do not see it going away anytime soon. >> do you ever get angry with reporters in the briefings? sarah sanders: sometimes, and i think there is a level of respect that has been lost in moments. i think we could do a little better on that front. >> do you have the president's ear? sarah sanders: i speak with the present test president frequently, but at the end of the day nobody elected me to do anything. they elected donald trump and it is my job to reflect what his thinking is and reflect what his policies are. and why we are trying to implement them and make the changes that we are. i try to do that as effectively as possible. and as accurately as possible. i think i have a very good relationship with the president.

my goal is always going to be to relay what he wants to do, not my own personal thinking. >> has he shared advice in how to deal with the press? sarah sanders: he does. he has. the president is one of the most dynamic figures we have ever seen. he is somebody who knows how to drive a message, knows how to drive a narrative, and certainly somebody that has such a great understanding of the power of the press. absolutely, he weighs in. i think that is one of the reasons he is in the white house, because he does understand the power of the press and the dynamic of it. and how to operate within the system. >> you are smiling. sarah sanders: i am a happy person, steve. steve in regard to how the white : house is portrayed, cable news, frenzied activity. some call it a reality show,

what is it like on the inside? sarah sanders: you have some of the most incredible people you will ever find working extremely hard doing everything they can to make our country a little better today than it was yesterday. people here really love america. they want to see the very best that we can make it. that is what we are here to do. i think if you walk around and see the time and hours and dedication people are putting in, that would be different than what you see on tv. steve: as you know you have been , driving debate this week to what happened at the red hen. you made a statement at the top of the briefing. i'm curious when the owner , talked to you, what was your immediate reaction? sarah sanders: i was a little surprised. but at the same time, i made a pretty quick decision, the whole conversation lasted a minute or two. i said i believe and i did.

see what does that tell you : about the state of our country and the political climate? sarah sanders: it is incredibly divisive. i think that as we move into the midterm elections, you will not see that dissipate, sadly, but hopefully it will not continue to rise. we can get back to a place where people can agree to disagree. we do not have to agree on everything, but i think we can treat each other a little bit nicer. steve does the president bear : some responsibility? sarah sanders: if you look at the policies of the president, everything he has done is about impacting all of america for the very best. he is focused on defending our country protecting our country, , establishing law and order, building an economy that benefits everybody, every single american. i think that everything he has done as president and the policies he has enacted are certainly things that should be

celebrated and should be things that can bring us together. the fact that we have such a booming economy should be a point that brings our country together. instead, people want to take it apart and attack and find things wrong with it. i think we can do better. steve: but the tone of the tweets and some of the statements, do you think that is an issue in the larger debate on the political climate and why it is so toxic? sarah sanders: the president has always been a fighter. he is tough and will not back down. there is a difference of hitting somebody in a verbal way, through a tweet, than asking for physical harm to be brought to someone's children. which we saw with members of the hollywood elite this past week, or maxine waters asking us to

essentially -- any member of the trump team or trump administration to not be allowed to go in public. that is unheard of. that to me is totally unacceptable, to take things to that extreme. i think that goes beyond. steve president clinton and : senator sanders said it was wrong for the owner of the restaurant to ask you to leave. sarah sanders: i appreciate that. i saw former president clinton's comments and i appreciate what he said. steve has there been one day on : the job most memorable to you, or a moment? sarah sanders: there have been a lot. we are on the front row of history. like i said before the president , is one of the most dynamic, engaging individuals i have ever been around and every day there are incredible moments we get to be a part of. i think every day we step foot in this building is an honor and a privilege.

i am thankful i get to be a part of it and part of what the president is doing. steve when we last talked, we : talked about your father. does he give you advice? sarah sanders: sometimes, and sometimes i take it and sometimes i don't. my dad and mom are both proud of my ability to be here and they are parents so i think they will be proud no matter what i do, but they are very encouraging and supportive. certainly glad i have a few people i know will be on my side. steve: when they see you behind the podium, i'm curious how do you work the room regarding to the questions? is there an approach in terms of who you call on? sarah sanders: not really, i wish i could say there is a special formula but it is trying to go to different parts of the room and cover a variety of different outlets. steve have you reached out to

: your predecessors? have they given you advice? sarah sanders: i had conversations with quite a few of them. they all have very good advice. a little bit different. but for the most part, it is all about do your best to get as much information as possible. give accurate information and be yourself. things along those lines. peopleunique position of , a small group of us that it held the role that are around to visit with each other. steve marvin fitzwater, the job : is to be a reporter because you have to figure out how to -- where to get information across the bureaucracy. sarah sanders: i could not agree more. a lot of times you will be dealing with an issue that has eight or nine different principles and you have to get information from all of them to do your best to accurately

, reflect the overall process, not just one player. you were always on a fact-finding mission. you are doing your best to get as much as possible. in a pretty consolidated amount of time and relay it out to the world. steve: is it easy or difficult to get information, especially with national security or military or defense issues? sarah sanders: it depends. sometimes easier than others. i think we have an incredible team at the white house. despite what you think, most people enjoy workingy with another -- with one another and have a great deal of respect for each other. while we may disagree on how to get there, we want the same things. i think it has gotten better over the last several months as you get to know people a lot better.

coming in on day one, you go from a lot of different people from all over the country in various walks of life thrown into a building and say, "run the government" like overnight, it takes getting to know each other and getting to know different personalities. it has gotten better. steve as you reflect on the : first year, have you grown in the job? has it changed you? sarah sanders: i definitely think i have grown. i like to think i have not changed. i think that, you know i come in , every day hopefully with the same attitude i have always had, and that that is to do my very best. -- my very best to give the best possible information, and to always be myself in the process. i will continue to try to do

that. steve at some point you will : leave the position. sanders: at some point we are all leaving in this life, whether we like it or not. steve have you thought in terms : of when? sarah sanders: no. i got asked this before. i wake up every day and part of what my daily routine is to pray and ask for clarity on a number of issues and that is one of them. at some point i will get it, and when i do, i will make that decision. steve cbs news said you were : leaving and you said they never contacted you. sarah sanders: i did not say they never contacted me, i said they never talked to me. i had an email at 6:00 with a 6:30 deadline that i missed because i was at my daughters into the year kindergarten program, so they never spoke to me and put the story before they talked to me. steve what does that say about : the media today? sarah sanders: i think there is

a real race often to be first instead of to be right. i think that is a dangerous place. we used to have a 24 hour cycle, but now we are on more of a 24 seconds like all and that is a dangerous place. not the same editorial process as stories go through before they go live. i think often times people -- reporters will use twitter to comment on a story and they do not realize it can be taken as news because they are a reporter. those are fast turnarounds. there is not an editorial process they go through. i think it has not been helpful news -- to the news for this constant race to be first instead of correct. steve do you tell editors and : producers at various points? sarah sanders: absolutely.

it is a constant thing we remind them of on a regular basis. steve we talked to you before -- we talked to you before you took this position. what thing best trained you to work in this white house? sarah sanders: probably having kids. it has taught me more patients i probably had beforehand. but it has given me great perspective. i never want to lose sight of the things that matter most. that is the best driver i can have, to always know the most important things will be my faith, family, that is the best preparation. steve do you have interest in : seeking public office down the road? sarah sanders: i am just trying to have a job i have. i'm not aware of any office i want to run for. i have seen the process and am happy where i am. question.al what time does your day begin and end? sarah sanders: start around 5:30, and stop around midnight. steve what are the weekends : like?

sarah sanders: it depends on if we are traveling or not traveling. i usually try to spend time with my family on the weekends. steve: is there one trip that stands out in your mind? sarah sanders: several. there have been other really neat things we have done. i got to go as part of the presidential delegation for the olympics. our delegation was led by ivanka and she had a good mix of both diplomatic side and the fun, like cheerleading side, a really interesting mix. just a really cool experience. i have had the opportunity to do a lot of great things. steve you still enjoy the job? : sarah sanders: i love our country. i think the president is doing some incredible things and i am blessed to be a part of it.

steve: if there was a think you could change, over they be? sarah sanders: probably shorter hours. less reporters? in all honesty, the thing that i would change the interaction. i think often when the cameras are off, the interaction between the press and the press team is at a much the escalated version. version two that would probably benefit everybody if that could be what was on the camera. steve are the briefings still : useful? sarah sanders: i think they can be. i think they have become more at times about trying to have a gotcha moment or breakout moment instead of actually getting information. steve do you want to name names? : sarah sanders: everybody can figure that out on their own. steve sarah sanders, thank you. :we appreciate it.

sarah sanders: thank you for having me. >> next week at 8:00 eastern in primetime, monday, from the atlantic's conference on the american idea. >> if you look at the rhetoric, the elites -- the are viewed as this little minority controlling the media. silicon valley, wall street, hollywood, universities, minorities. they love immigrants and what to help the poor in africa, but they don't care about real americans. >> tuesday, the weekly standard host a conversation on the millennial generation. >> what's happening in campuses in high schools in terms of not reading certain books because people make it triggered and all that. that is a fight worth fighting. the people making these decisions are often the baby boomers, not the millennials. >> goldman sachs chairman and ceo lloyd blankfein. >> the go2net fiat currency or they say this is worth what is

worth because the government says it is, i couldn't you have a consensus currency? it is not for me. i don't do it. goldman sachs has no bitcoin. if it does work out, i could give you the historical path as to whether it happened. >> thursday, racism in america. >> blacks fear of white people is justified. white people's fear of blacks are not. >> for cameron, attorney general jeff sessions, can senator cory gardner speaking at this year's western conservative summit in colorado. >> we are hammering the criminals and violent groups, especially ms 13, that vicious gang. it is one of the most violent and inhumane groups in the world. their motto, get this -- kill, rape and control. >> next week on c-span, c-span.org, and the free c-span

radio app. c-span newsmakers is next with democratic congress meant adam smith of washington state. that is followed by the american civil liberties union with a talk on the state of the news media. at 8:00 on q&a, syndicated charen talksa about modern-day feminism. susan: "newsmakers" this week is pleased to have congressman adam smith, democrat of washington. his district is home to the army's fort lewis and air force base and he is the ranking democrat on the armed services committee. were talking to him when the house is talking about big big decisions about the pentagon and defense. thank you for being with us. rep. smith: thanks for the chance. susan: let me introduce the two reporters asking questions.