Trump’s criticisms of these networks continued, asserting their absence from the significant event damaged their credibility
Photo : AP
CNN and MS NOW journalists were denied access to cover Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival for the state dinner at the White House on Thursday, despite a federal judge having ordered the restoration of the outlets’ access.
A CNN reporter and producer were stopped by a White House press official and told to “talk to” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. The incident came after the White House had asked CNN to provide the names of journalists who would cover Xi’s arrival.
CNN submitted a team consisting of a reporter, producer and camera crew, as it normally does for White House events. But about an hour before Xi’s scheduled arrival, the White House told CNN it could cover the event only with a photojournalist and an audio technician. The network’s reporter and producer were excluded.
The White House has not resumed the regular television press pool, which supplies video footage of presidential events to the major US networks.
The networks have said they will not restart the pool until CNN is allowed to participate again.
Reporters Regain Access
Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were eventually allowed back into the White House on Thursday afternoon. Their return followed a chaotic morning during which reporters from the three outlets were initially denied entry, despite an overnight court order requiring their access to be restored.
The episode is the latest development in a dispute between President Donald Trump and several news organisations that began when he barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House last week.
Trump said the outlets had published what he called “fake” news.
The administration’s decision prompted the major television networks to suspend the White House TV pool in solidarity with CNN, which normally takes part in the rotating coverage system.
As a result, Xi’s arrival at the White House was not covered by the usual American network video pool. The absence was unusual for an event involving a Chinese president and a formal White House state dinner.
“Normally we’d be watching an elegant affair on the South Lawn,” Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer told viewers, “and we don’t get access to that now.”
Trump Criticises CNN and MS NOW
Trump criticised CNN and MS NOW on Thursday over their lack of live video coverage of Xi’s arrival. “CNN and MSDNC, to show you how fake they are, today refused to cover one of the Biggest and Most Beautiful Events to take place in many years, the arrival at the White House of the Highly Respected President of China, Xi Jinping, and his beautiful wife, Madam Peng,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“The event was magnificent — Actually made for Television but, because they’re Fake News, and because they knew how good it would be, they didn’t want credit to be given to ‘TRUMP,’ they refused to be there,” he added.
Trump had previously banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he described as “fake news” reporting.
The Department of Justice argued in court that the outlets’ journalism posed a national security risk.