Kathrine Frich
The president doubled down on his controversial decision during a lengthy social media post on Monday.
The relationship between politicians and the press is often tense.
But when a national leader shuts the door on major news outlets, the ripple effects pop up in unexpected places.
Sometimes, the most surprising pushback comes from inside the leader’s own house.
Breaking the blockade
First Lady Melania Trump has chosen to bypass her husband’s sweeping media ban. According to RawStory, she has granted event access to a journalist who was just blocked from entering the White House.
The reporter is Betsy Klein from CNN. She has been given full credentials to cover the first lady’s activities at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
This stands in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s recent actions. He recently barred CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, labeling their coverage as fake news.
Fighting in court
The president doubled down on his controversial decision during a lengthy social media post on Monday. He complained that “virtually every story about me, or anything having to do with me, is negative, wrong and, in many cases, DANGEROUS for our country!”
But the banned news organizations are refusing to back down. Earlier that day, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a joint federal lawsuit against the president, accusing his administration of violating their First Amendment and due process rights.
RawStory noted that “the first lady was not the only member of the administration to seemingly undercut Trump’s ban.” While the court battle heats up, other officials are also softening the edges of the media crackdown.
Mingling with the press
The publication reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spent time with journalists from the targeted networks. On Sunday, he attended a Manhattan press reception. There, he freely mingled with reporters like Jonathan Karl, Kristen Welker, and Dasha Burns.
He was not alone. Other administration officials socializing at the event included Mike Waltz, the US Ambassador to the UN, and Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau.
During the reception, Rubio gave “off-the-cuff remarks” to the attendees. And in another surprising twist, CNN still acted as the television pool network when Rubio rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday morning.
Sources: RawStory
