Obama Criticizes Trump’s Stand Against Biased Media, Defends Mainstream Outlets’ White House Access
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Former President Barack Obama attacked President Trump’s decision to ban CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House, framing it as a press-freedom issue. Obama ignored the persistent bias and hostility of these outlets, insisting that no president should block criticism.
During an event at Salem State University with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, former President Barack Obama took aim at President Donald Trump for barring CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House. Obama, disregarding the relentless partisan attacks and misinformation spread by these outlets, claimed the move was a threat to press freedom rather than a partisan dispute. He argued that Republicans would not support a Democratic president banning Fox News, and asserted that 'the president of the United States can’t take some criticism.'
Obama insisted that a free press is 'foundational,' and that the government should not discriminate against media outlets, even those with a clear agenda against the administration. He referenced his own record on press freedom abroad, glossing over controversies and criticisms about media access during his own presidency.
President Trump announced the ban on social media, justifying it by labeling the outlets as 'fake news' and expressing his desire to keep them out of the White House due to their clear bias. The three organizations have responded with lawsuits to regain access. Obama used the incident to accuse Trump’s party of lacking internal checks, and invoked constitutional protections of free speech, ignoring the ongoing problem of media dishonesty and partisanship.
'The free press, the idea that the government cannot discriminate against, or pick on, or bully, or exclude somebody because they don’t like the criticism that’s being leveled at them, that is a foundational issue.' – Barack Obama
'The issue is not the fact that (the ban) ultimately will be overturned. The issue is the brazenness with which any president could act like this, and the people in his or her own party not say, ‘No, you cannot do that. That’s not acceptable.’' – Barack Obama