'Fake News' Media Outlets CNN, NYT, Buzzfeed Not Invited to White House Presser"I want you all to know we are fighting the fake news - fixed, phony, fake"Adan Salazar Infowars Feb. 24, 2017 |
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![]() ![]() Several members of former Obama lapdog media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, Buzzfeed, The Los Angeles Times and others, complained they were unable to access the exclusive presser, known as a "gaggle," while right-leaning outlets such as The Washington Times and Breitbart, were allowed to enter. Adrian Carrasquillo, a reporter for Buzzfeed – whom President Trump has referred to as "a failing pile of garbage" – reported from the White House briefing room that only "select invites" were handed out to members of the press.
Los Angeles Times reporter Noah Bierman, whose outlet had just been praised by President Trump at the 2017 CPAC conference, tweeted a photo of reporters excluded from attending the gaggle.
CNN and the "failing" New York Times each put out statements claiming they were outraged by the "unacceptable development," and claimed the administration's decision was "retaliation" for reporting "facts they don't like." "This is an unacceptable development by the Trump White House. Apparently this is how they retaliate when you report facts they don't like. We'll keep reporting regardless," a statement from CNN said. Dean Baquet, executive editor at the New York Times, wrote, "Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties. We strongly protest the exclusion of The New York Times and the other news organizations. Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest." Asked whether CNN and The New York Times were blocked because the administration was unhappy with their reporting, Spicer responded: "Because we had it as pool, and then we expanded it, and we added some folks to come cover it. It was my decision to expand the pool." The Associated Press – who last week misreported a story claiming Trump had tapped the National Guard as a deportation force – and Time Magazine – whose reporter erroneously tweeted that Trump had removed the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr., from the Oval Office – both boycotted the presser in protest.
At the CPAC conference Friday, Trump continued to slam the "dishonest," "fake news" media, who he has named "the enemy of the American people." "I want you all to know we are fighting the fake news – fixed, phony, fake," Trump said to applause. "As you saw throughout the entire campaign, and even now, the fake news doesn't tell the truth," Trump said at the conference. |