Trump Silences Reporter After Challenging His Crackdown on Press Freedom
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President Donald Trump lashed out at MS Now correspondent Akayla Gardner for questioning his administration's escalating assault on press freedom, doubling down on his attacks against independent journalism.
President Donald Trump brazenly dismissed a question from MS Now White House correspondent Akayla Gardner on Saturday as he left the White House, after she dared to ask whether he only wants sycophantic outlets in the press pool. Trump, who has repeatedly demonized the free press, retorted that he wants 'real news, not fake news – like you,' and then attempted to silence the reporter when she pressed him on his aversion to tough questions.
The exchange was not broadcast live because CNN, a frequent target of Trump’s anti-media crusade, had been arbitrarily removed from the designated pool television crew. The White House, intent on controlling the narrative, posted the clip on social media instead. Earlier in the week, the administration escalated its war on journalism by revoking credentials for several critical outlets, including MS Now, Politico, and CNN, following Trump’s outrageous announcement of a ban on what he cynically called 'the free press.' Although a federal judge briefly restored access for the blacklisted outlets, the administration retaliated by blocking them again from covering a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On Friday, CNN was once more purged from the rotation of networks assigned to provide pool television coverage of presidential travel. In a blatant display of favoritism, the pro-Trump propaganda outlet Real America’s Voice accompanied Trump on a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he basked in the adulation of a college football crowd. The network shared only limited, carefully curated footage on social media, including a stadium jumbotron image of the president.
'He is picking a fight with the people who are telling unpleasant truths about his administration,' said Brian Stelter, CNN’s chief media analyst, highlighting the dangerous consequences of Trump’s ongoing efforts to muzzle the press and suppress dissent.