The White House has blocked a number of major media outlets from a press briefing, showing President Donald Trump’s determination in fighting what he calls “fake news media.”
CNN, The New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times, The Hill, the Daily Mail and BuzzFeed News were left out from Friday’s off-camera briefing, which was hosted by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
Generally referred to as gaggles, the off-camera sessions are less formal than the televised ones.
Trump has on many occasions accused the blocked media of publishing fake stories about his administration.
Sarah Hockabee Sanders, White House’s principal deputy press secretary, defended the move in a statement, saying the press pool was invited “so everyone would be represented and get an update from us today.”
The press pool usually features a major TV channel and a print outlet, which then provide other media with the content of the session.
According to CNN, however, the pool on Friday featured four of the five major television networks — NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox News — and only CNN was not invited.
Among written media, conservative news organizations such as Breitbart News, The Washington Times and One America News Network were given a spot.
Spicer said it was his decision to expand the pool, but he did not clarify whether the move was based on Trump’s displeasure with some media reports.
“Because we had it as pool, and then we expanded it, and we added some folks to come cover it. It was my decision to expand the pool,” he said.
The White House Correspondents Association protested the decision, saying it would discuss the matter with the administration.
National Press Club President Jeffrey Ballou said the “deeply disturbing” move “harkens back to the darkest chapters of US history and reeks of undemocratic, un-American and unconstitutional censorship.”
Earlier in the day, Trump disparaged the media at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, accusing some outlets of being “the enemy of the people” for making up sources “when there are none.”
“I’m not against the press; I don’t mind bad stories if I deserve them and I tell you, I love good stories, but we won’t. I don’t get too many of them.
“They are very dishonest people; in fact, in covering my comments, the dishonest media did not explain that I called the fake news the enemy of the people – the fake news.
“They dropped off the word ‘fake’ and all of the sudden, the story became, the media is the enemy; they take the word ‘fake’ out, and now I’m saying, oh, no, this is no good. But that’s the way they are. So I’m not against the media.
“I want you all to know that we are fighting the fake news. It’s fake – phony, fake.
“A few days ago, I called the fake news ‘the enemy of the people’ – and they are. They are the enemy of the people.
“Because they have no sources, they just make them up when there are none. I saw one story recently where they said nine people have confirmed. There are no nine people. I don’t believe there was one or two people; nine people.
“And I said, give me a break because I know the people who they talked to; there were no nine people but they say, nine people, and somebody reads it and they think, ‘oh, nine people. They have nine sources’; they make up sources.”
The President claimed that he was only against the “fake news media or press” adding, media should disclose their sources.
“I’m against the people that make up stories and make up sources. They shouldn’t be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody’s name; let their name be put out there.
“Let their name be put out. A source says that Donald Trump is a horrible, horrible human being; let them say it to my face. Let there be no more sources.”
Trump, however, said there are very honourable media men writing very fair stories.
“There are some great reporters around. They’re talented, they’re as honest as the day is long. They’re great.
“But there are some terrible, dishonest people, and they do a tremendous disservice to our country and to our people; a tremendous disservice.
“They are very dishonest people, and they shouldn’t use sources; they should put the name of the person; you will see stories dry up like you’ve never seen before,” the president said.
Trump, who said most U.S. media got his election polls and subsequent polls since his inauguration wrongly, claimed that he “love the First Amendment; nobody loves it better than me; nobody, I mean, who uses it more than I do?”
“But the First Amendment gives all of us – it gives it to me, it gives it to you, it gives all Americans – the right to speak our minds freely; It gives you the right and me the right to criticise fake news, and criticise it strongly”. – Agency report.
