WASHINGTON—A major constitutional crisis pitting the pro-censorship Trump administration against the nation’s top news organizations will end up in a D.C. courtroom on Sept. 22. The president is attempting to summarily bar reporters from CNN, Politico, and MSNBC—renamed MSNOW—from entering the White House.
The last time Trump threw out a reporter and yanked his press credentials, during his first term, he lost in court on First Amendment grounds. Judge Timothy F. Kelly, appointed by Trump, heard the previous case and will hear this latest one, as well.
“The First Amendment includes a free press so that tyrants wouldn’t be allowed to control what the public sees or hears,” NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss said of Trump’s latest censorship attempt.
During his first term, Trump banned Fox’s then-White House reporter Jim Acosta. An uproar over the Constitution’s First Amendment ensued, the same journalistic solidarity being witnessed now prevailed then, and Judge Kelly ruled for freedom of the press and against Trump.
Just three days before this latest Trump ban, the Department of Homeland Security instituted its own censorship try. That prompted a lawsuit, too, from the NewsGuild, the Teachers/AFT, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and other organizations. That case is pending.
After Trump banned the three news organizations and yanked their credentials, the five major networks—CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, and even Fox, a frequent Trump megaphone—denounced the ban.
They also refused to cover Trump’s White House ceremony inaugurating a helipad on the South Lawn, and didn’t fly with him to New York on Air Force One, either.
Newsmax tried to cover the helipad opening, but the lack of press pool microphones meant there was no audio of the president’s remarks. Print publications didn’t run White House-supplied photos of the rite.
“I applaud these news organizations for pushing back immediately against Trump’s illegal behavior,” said NewsGuild President Schleuss. “This is yet again another shameful moment for our country. Trump doesn’t get to decide who covers the ‘people’s house.’”
“This morning, Secret Service barred our own PEN Guild member Cheyenne Haslett from the White House simply for doing her job,” the Washington-Baltimore News Guild and its sector representing Politico tweeted on BlueSky.
“Press access cannot be weaponized against journalists for their reporting. An attack on one outlet’s ability to cover the White House is an attack on a free press for all of us. We stand with our members and every journalist targeted for doing their job.”
Trump justified his ban by pointing to the effort of his predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama, to ban Fox, too. Speaking on CBS, where he works now, Major Garrett, then the Obama “victim” while Fox White House Bureau Chief, explained what happened.
“Then, as now, other news organizations rallied and refused to participate in one particular high-profile interview if Fox—meaning me—was excluded. Back then there were those in the Obama White House who described the animosity against Fox as ‘a war.’
“Take my word for it: Coming to work every day at a White House which describes itself as at ‘war’ with your network is stressful. At no time, though, was my White House press credential seized…. Eventually things got back to something resembling normal.”
MSNOW said in a statement that it “intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”
CNN called Trump’s ban “illegal” and pledged to continue reporting on Trump’s government “regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism.”
Jonathan Greenberger, Politico’s editor-in-chief, said the outlet “will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.”
“As far as I know, there is no precedent either for a president to ban cameras or networks—or for networks to boycott an event in solidarity with their banned colleagues,” presidential historian Harold Holzer told The New York Times, forgetting the joint defense of Acosta. “I was waiting for that to happen but honestly despaired of it. Thrilled to see it.”
In a brief televised appearance on the White House-launched Trump TV, the president said he banned all three news outlets because they consistently broadcast “lies” and “fake news” about him.
“Virtually every story about me, or anything having to do with me, is negative, wrong and, in many cases, DANGEROUS for our Country!” he later complained on social media. “No matter how GREAT my Achievements, they trivialize and demean.”
This latest confrontation between Trump and the media is another chapter in his long war, sometimes successful, to slant or censor coverage of himself and his activities. The war includes public pressure, featuring expensive lawsuits, against major networks that refuse to bend the knee and uncritically run his statements and press conferences.
It also includes insults and intimidation of individual reporters. And it includes pressure for federal approval of a $111 billion media merger between Warner Brothers-Paramount and Discovery.
The Writers Guild of America joined Attorneys General from 12 states in federal court in Rhode Island in opposing that merger. It would put pro-Trump media mogul David Ellison in charge of the combined firm, including CBS and CNN.
On Sept. 21, Ellison won out of court, letting the merger go ahead, with an independent board to control CBS and CNN.
No paywalls at People’s World
We hope you appreciated this article. At People’s World, we believe news and information should be free and accessible to all, but we need your help. Our journalism is free of corporate influence and paywalls because we are totally reader-supported. Only you, our readers and supporters, make this possible. If you enjoy reading People’s World and the stories we bring you, please support our work by donating or becoming a monthly sustainer today. Thank you!
CONTRIBUTOR
