The media is about to get so much access it'll make their heads spin.
"I figure they can't treat me any worse!" Trump told CNN.
As a practical matter, the move doesn't change much. With few exceptions, reporters from blacklisted media companies have managed to cover Trump rallies by mingling with the crowd. But the Republican presidential nominee's olive branch could signal a new era of relative civility for the stretch run to Election Day.
Last week, the Trump campaign instituted a print pool that included in its rotation several news organizations on the blacklist. Trump running mate Mike Pence had suggested in July that he would push for the campaign to lift its ban on certain outlets after a Washington Post reporter was denied general admission to an event in Wisconsin.
Trump's move to ease tensions with the media comes as Hillary Clinton appears to be making an effort to engage reporters more often. The Democratic nominee began allowing journalists to travel aboard her campaign plane this week and took questions from the press corps on consecutive days Monday and Tuesday — unheard of for a candidate who had not held a news conference all year.
Trump has, however, scaled back the number of interviews he grants to TV networks other than Fox News Channel in recent weeks, suggesting that there are limits to his new press openness.