Senior administration officials were surprised by President Donald Trump's decision to bar journalists from entering the White House, according to a report in Politico.
According to a report in Politico — one of the outlets barred from the White House — senior aides in the Trump administration were surprised by the president's decision to ban journalists from three major news organizations. The report, published Saturday evening, suggests the move was not widely shared within the administration ahead of its announcement.
Earlier Saturday, at 16:03 Jerusalem, President Trump enforced the ban, denying entry to three reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico and confiscating their press credentials, as The Zioneer reported. The president accused the outlets of repeated 'fake news' and said the decision reflected years of coverage rather than any specific incident. CNN called the ban an illegal assault on press freedom.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the administration's fraught relationship with the press, including the closure of the White House press area and cancellation of public events. The move also comes amid broader concerns about White House security and leaks.
It remains unclear whether the surprise among aides reflects broader internal disagreement over the policy or whether the decision was made solely by the president. Politico, CNN, and MSNBC have pledged to continue covering the administration and to defend their First Amendment rights in court, with CNN vowing to challenge the ban as illegal.
3 developments
- StrongTrump returns to White House, avoids speaking to reporters
- StrongWhite House says Trump will not make further press appearances today
- DevelopingTrump defends White House press ban as attack on 'fake news'
- DevelopingWhite House says it was surprised by reports of Trump-Netanyahu meeting, denies meeting was scheduled
Source and signal
- Open-source intake