Trump blocks journalists from the White House and sparks a crisis
The president Donald Trump prohibited journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW from accessing the White House, under accusation of publishing 'fiction or lies'. The outlets classify the measure as unconstitutional and promise to appeal.
The president of Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, intensified his dispute with the press by barring journalists from three major vehicles from accessing Casa Branca. The move, announced on Friday, hit CNN, Politico and MS NOW, which had their credentials revoked and reporters barred from entering the building on Saturday.
Trump justified the ban by accusing the media of writing “fiction or lies” about his administration. The decision generated immediate reaction from media organizations, which promise to defend their constitutional rights.
Revoked credentials and access denied
On Saturday morning, a reporter and a photographer from MS NOW tried to enter the premises of the Casa Branca, but their badges were not recognized by the system and an agent confiscated them, the vehicle said. CNN and Politico also reported that their reporters had access denied and badges seized.
"The officer asked me to hand over my badge. He said he was disabled,” said MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner. “I asked why I couldn’t go in. He said it was above his authority.”
Gardner added that although her and her colleague's badges were disabled, an MS NOW producer still managed to pass her badge through the system to get in, although she did not receive an explanation as to why the producer's badge continued to work.
CNN reporter Betsy Klein said a Secret Service agent reported that her badge had been deactivated. Later on Saturday morning, Politico reported that its reporter Cheyenne Haslett had been denied entry and that the Secret Service had revoked her credentials.
Vehicles accuse violation of press freedom
The three media spoke out against the decision, accusing Trump of violating his constitutional rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. A spokesman for MS NOW said in a statement that the Casa Branca "belongs to the American people and the decisions made there are financed by our taxes."
MS NOW stated that it “intends to take all necessary measures to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”
And CNN stated, "We have the right, guaranteed by the Estados Unidos Constitution, to do our journalistic work without hindrance or government interference, and this ban is an unlawful attack on this fundamental right."
Trump talks about 'accumulation of material'
In his announcement, Trump did not mention specific reports or stories from the three vehicles that would have motivated the decision, but later said that "it is really an accumulation of stories from the last few years." He added that "there may be others who join them," but gave no order banning other media outlets.
Later, when a reporter asked what he meant by others who would come, Trump replied: “Others who will come in terms of fake news? Well, you know, the New York Times is fake news, the Washington Post is fake news."
Association of correspondents alert to precedent
The president of the Casa Branca Correspondents Association (WHCA), Jacqui Heinrich, who works for Fox News, warned of the implications of the measure. “The implications go beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude a press vehicle because of its coverage could be applied to any vehicle in the future,” he said.
Heinrich said Americans, through a free and independent press, need to be able to scrutinize those who were elected in their coverage “regardless of whether government officials find it favorable.”
"That is why the courts have repeatedly decided that, since Casa Branca offers access to journalists, it cannot deny such access arbitrarily or based on the content of its reporting," he added.
Press freedom groups react
Several groups dedicated to press freedom have classified Trump’s Casa Branca vehicle ban as illegal and unconstitutional. Anthony Zurcher, a correspondent from North America, says the president has raised the hostility in his dispute with the press at Casa Branca to a new level.
The episode rekindles the debate on the limits of presidential power and the protection of press freedom in the Estados Unidos, with possible legal developments in the coming days.
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