White House Bars CNN, MS NOW From State Dinner
The White House blocked CNN and MS NOW from covering a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump despite a judicial order restoring their access. This refusal is a blatant defiance of U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly’s temporary restraining order, which was meant to allow these media outlets to cover events on the White House grounds.
At the event, which featured Chinese President Xi Jinping, CNN’s Erin Burnett reported that their media team was denied entry to cover the arrivals. Similarly, MS NOW’s Symone Sanders-Townsend announced the same denial on-air, highlighting the administration’s continued exclusionary practices.
Trump justified this ban by accusing the outlets of spreading false information and signaled potential future bans on other media organizations. Despite the judge’s order, Trump’s administration initially ignored the ruling before eventually restoring access later that day.
The White House defended the ban by claiming it was a “pre-credentialed event” and suggested that not all media had unrestricted access to events. This move underscores the administration’s continuous battle with the press and its attempt to control the narrative.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of Trump’s hostility towards media outlets he deems adversarial, further cementing his authoritarian approach to governance as he continues to undermine democratic institutions and quell dissenting voices.