> he becomes more sympathetic as the days go by

PR in action!

He's had an excellent PR machine running since Friday and the opposing faction seems to have exactly none (which makes sense given their relative roles and backgrounds). So reporters and Twitter get carefully crafted leaks, tips, and comments from one side and nobody on the other side has the experience, connections, and confidence to push back with a different narrative. And so the story drifts in their favor.

This is why professional PR is a thing and earns people lots of money.