US Attorney General Defends White House Ban on Three News Outlets

US Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the White House’s decision to bar three media organisations from the press pool, describing access as a privilege rather than a right.

Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Blanche said the administration moved to exclude CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House beginning on 19 September. He added that President Donald Trump was “sick and tired” of what the government regarded as inaccurate reporting by those outlets.

Blanche’s comments come amid a wider dispute over press credentialing and access to the executive branch, which entered its second week at the time of his remarks. The attorney general did not provide further details on the criteria used to determine the ban.

The ban has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates, who argue that restricting journalists’ ability to report from the White House undermines transparency. The administration, however, maintains that the decision is within its authority to manage media relations.

Source: The Guardian. Photo: Werner Pfennig / Pexels.