In an apparent attempt to gain favor with reporters covering President Donald Trump, prominent Democratic donor Tom Hanks has purchased a luxury espresso machine for the White House Press Corps.
The gift from Hanks, who recently played a leading role in Inferno (19 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), was received by the reporters at the White House on Thursday.
Though on the surface the gift appears to be an act of kindness, it is difficult to ignore his partisan intent.
Hanks has contributed nearly $200,000 to Democratic candidates and committees over the years, including thousands to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He also participated in the "thank you" montage that the White House produced in Obama's final weeks.
Hanks was also awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by Obama last November along with numerous other Democratic donors.
The espresso machine, which appears to be a $2,219 Pasquini Livia G4 Auto PID, was accompanied with a note from Hanks urging reporters to "keep up the good fight."
"Keep up the good fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way," wrote Hanks. "Especially for the Truth part."
Thanks @tomhanks-very kind of you to send a new espresso machine to the White House press corps. We appreciated the other ones-nice upgrade! pic.twitter.com/2Ne2c2Rd96
— Karen Travers (@karentravers) March 2, 2017
This is not the first time that Hanks has bought an espresso machine for the press office, though the previous instances appeared to be less political.
During a 2004 visit to the White House with his family on Memorial Day weekend, Hanks was surprised to learn that there was not a coffee pot there for reporters so he had an espresso machine delivered. Then in 2010, when Hanks was visiting the White House to give Obama a private screening of HBO's The Pacific, the actor was disgusted to see that reporters had failed to keep the machine in good condition.
"You know you are supposed to clean this after every use," Hanks said after seeing what had become of the machine. "You are supposed to wipe that off. Look at the buildup there!"
"Let me see what I can do for the poor slobs of the fourth estate," he said, promising to deliver a new espresso machine.
Hanks has previously attacked Trump as a "simplistic, self-involved gasbag."
He also predicted that Trump would become president "right about the time spaceships come down filled with dinosaurs in red capes." The Huffington Post's lifestyle editor noted that Hanks' prediction "nailed it."