Kathrine Frich
The 80-year-old president appeared to need assistance
When political leaders host a grand, public unveiling, their main goal is usually to project absolute control.
But things can quickly fall apart. Sometimes, the silence from the press is louder than the event itself.
Cut from the broadcast
President Donald Trump recently hosted a chaotic ribbon-cutting ceremony on the White House South Lawn.
Standing by a new granite helipad designed for Marine One, he gripped massive gold scissors.
But according to the Irish star something happened as the crowd clapped.
The 80-year-old president appeared to need assistance to snip the ribbon. His remarks were also entirely lost.
The powerful engines of the nearby helicopter completely drowned out his words. It created an awkward scene, made worse by the absence of professional television audio equipment.
A major media blackout
Usually, an entire network of national television cameras and heavy boom microphones would capture the president’s every word. But this time, major news organizations deliberately kept their equipment away.
The silent protest followed a controversial decision by the Trump administration. Officials banned reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from accessing the White House grounds.
Trump defended his ban by accusing the outlets of extreme bias. According to the Irish Star, he stated he has a duty “not to allow them into another very special house.”
Defending the decision
“If you look at CNN, it’s fake news,” the president claimed. “If you look at MS NOW, I don’t even know what MS NOW is, I guess it’s the MSNBC,” he continued.
“It’s just biased news, and I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair,” he added.
The White House also pushed back with a fiery public response. Officials claimed that access rules are constantly changing and accused the networks of hypocrisy.
“The rule was never ‘every outlet gets in,'” the administration said in a statement. “It was always ‘our side stays in.'”
Fighting back in court
The targeted media companies are not taking the ban quietly. CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a First Amendment lawsuit to demand the return of their credentials.
The legal challenge will soon go before a federal judge in Washington. In their joint statement, the news organizations called the ban a direct threat to press freedom.
“This morning, we notified the government that 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,” the outlets said.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” they added.
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Sources: Irish Star
