It's the amazingly blatant Trump looking for approval from the New York Times elite that he's a stable genius. It's like he thinks his base is not going to see this. Basically he's bragging to Sulzberger et. al. that he has done a great job of setting  up fooling all the little people about a national emergency . Another example, as I just pointed out on another thread, he also says nothing is more important than the New York Times. What's interesting about all of this is that he is craving approval of elite world at this point in time, like in the old days before he was in politics. He's the one who reached out for the interview. He wanted Sulzberger/publisher group alone and Sulzberger said no, only if reporters can be there. He caved to that.

Everything could be different tomorrow, of course, but it's him craving their approval at this time as a brilliant genius manipulator, he's totally schmoozing.

Edit to add: comes to mind this is also the walkback about disagreement with the Intel chiefs, careful consideration about next appointments, etc.  Message: everything okay, everything under control, stable genius, no mutiny, not crazytown.

McConnell reportedly warned Trump against using emergency powers

By Zachary Basu @ Axios.com. Feb. 1

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned President Trump during a face-to-face meeting at the White House that using emergency powers to get funding for his border wall "may trigger political blowback and divide the GOP," the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: Trump told the New York Times Thursday that [....]

From WaPo article, on the source and the time:

[....] cautioned President Trump privately this week about the consequences of declaring a national emergency to build his border wall, telling him the move could trigger political blowback and divide the GOP according to two Republicans with knowledge of the exchange [....]

McConnell delivered the message during a face-to-face meeting with the president Tuesday at the White House, according to the Republicans, who requested anonymity to describe the encounter. The two men met alone and conversed with no aides present. Their meeting was not publicly announced [....]