Tom Hanks has gifted coffee machines to the White House press corps three times since President George W. Bush took office, and the Academy Award-winning actor has a simple explanation why.
“I’ve done that for Democrats and Republican administrations because those poor bastards need coffee,” Mr. Hanks told television host Stephen Colbert on Friday. “It’s as simple as that.”
“I think this president might be keeping them up anyway,” Mr. Colbert responded.
Mr. Hanks, 60, made his initial offering in 2004 after he toured the White House and was baffled by the absence of a decent coffeemaker inside the corps’ break room. He sent journalists an espresso machine soon afterwards, replacing it twice in the years since.
“How is it holding up? Do you need another one?” Mr. Hanks asked reporters during a 2010 return to the White House amid former President Obama’s administration. “I’m going to get you another espresso machine…. Let me see what I can do for the poor slobs of the Fourth Estate here,” he said.
He sent a replacement the following week and sent the latest edition to them in March this year along with a note reading: “To the White House Press Corps: Keep up the good fight for Truth, Justice and the American Way. Especially for the Truth Part.”
Three months into reporting on President Trump’s administration, the actor joked Friday that journalists currently covering the White House have their work cut out for them.
“I have a feeling the problem now is there’s an awful lot of spit coffee on people’s laps,” Mr. Hanks said during Friday’s episode of the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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