Donald Trump’s avoidance of formal news conference continues

NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump on Monday cancelled the only news conference he has scheduled since his election, continuing to communicate with the public via Twitter and carefully curated, one-on-one interviews.

Trump aides said Monday that an announcement planned for Thursday on the future of Trump’s business empire had been rescheduled. Spokesman Sean Spicer said in an email that moving the announcement “ensures the legal team has ample time to ensure the proper protocols are put in place so his sole focus will remain on the country and achieving his ambitious agenda with the help of the world-class cabinet he has built.”

Trump promised on Twitter late Monday: “I will hold a press conference in the near future to discuss the business, Cabinet picks and all other topics of interest. Busy times!”

He has kept up an active Twitter profile and has done a handful of television interviews, including a lengthy sit-down that aired Sunday on Fox News. But for decades most presidents-elect have held a news conference within days of the election. Those events differ from one-on-one interviews, because the president-elect must field questions from a broader range of journalists.