Trump Attacks Press Freedom at UN, Escalates War on Media Amid Lawsuit
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President Trump brazenly told a CNN journalist she should not be covering him at the United Nations, as his administration faces a lawsuit from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico over its authoritarian ban on White House access.
President Donald Trump openly confronted CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins at the United Nations, telling her she should not be present to cover him after she dared to ask about a poll revealing that two-thirds of Americans doubt the United States’ progress in the conflict with Iran. 'You should not be here covering me,' Trump declared, further accusing CNN of previously refusing to cover him—a baseless claim that Collins immediately challenged on air.
This alarming exchange unfolded as the Department of Justice prepared to defend in federal court Trump’s latest assault on press freedom: the decision to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The administration, without citing any evidence, accused these outlets of publishing 'false stories' about the president and his administration.
In defense of democracy, the three media organizations filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington on Monday, seeking an injunction to restore their access and charging the administration with violating the First Amendment and Due Process Clause. In a joint statement, they affirmed, '> We are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.'
A White House-appointed judge has ordered the Justice Department to respond to the request for an injunction, with a teleconference hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, a consortium of television news networks providing pooled White House coverage announced that four members would suspend pool coverage ahead of Trump’s trip to New York in solidarity with CNN, which was unjustly barred from serving as the pool.
MS NOW reported it had obtained internal White House talking points prepared for congressional Republicans, which attempt to justify the ban by claiming the president has been 'highly transparent' with the press and asserting—contrary to democratic norms—that the First Amendment does not guarantee any outlet a permanent briefing-room credential.
This lawsuit and the ongoing dispute lay bare the administration’s relentless campaign against the free press and its attempts to undermine the public’s right to information.