Trump confronts CNN reporter at UN amid ongoing White House media ban lawsuit
President Trump told a CNN journalist she should not be covering him at the United Nations, while the administration defends a court challenge by CNN, MS NOW and Politico over a ban on White House access.
President Donald Trump told CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins at the United Nations that she should not be present to cover him, after she asked about a poll showing two-thirds of Americans doubting the United States’ progress in the conflict with Iran. "You should not be here covering me," Trump said, adding that CNN had previously said it would not cover him, a claim Collins disputed on air.
The exchange occurred as the Department of Justice prepared to defend in federal court the president’s decision, announced last Friday, to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. The administration said the outlets had published false stories about the president and his administration, though no specific reports were cited.
The three media organizations filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington on Monday, seeking an injunction to restore their White House access and alleging violations of the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause. In a joint statement, they said, "> 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 that provides pooled White House coverage announced that four members would suspend pool coverage ahead of Trump’s trip to New York because CNN was barred from serving as the pool.
MS NOW reported that it obtained internal White House talking points prepared for congressional Republicans about the ban. The documents claim the president has been highly transparent with the press and assert that the First Amendment does not guarantee any outlet a permanent briefing-room credential.
The lawsuit and the ongoing dispute highlight a broader conflict between the administration and major news organizations over access and reporting rights.