Donald Trump revokes Washington Post’s press credentials
Donald Trump announced on Monday that his presidential campaign would revoke Washington Post reporters’ press credentials in retaliation for its supposedly inaccurate coverage.
“Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post,” the presumptive GOP nominee wrote on Facebook.
The Post’s executive editor, Martin Baron, said the revocation of his paper’s credentials was “nothing less than a repudiation of the role of a free and independent press.”
In the statement to Yahoo News, Baron continued: “When coverage doesn’t correspond to what the candidate wants it to be, then a news organization is banished. The Post will continue to cover Donald Trump as it has all along — honorably, honestly, accurately, energetically and unflinchingly. We’re proud of our coverage, and we’re going to keep at it.”
Trump’s campaign has repeatedly restricted certain media outlets from covering his campaign events. While he cannot stop anyone from writing about his White House bid, he can bar specific reporters from entering the private venues where he holds his rallies and other events.
This month, a Politico journalist was reportedly ejected from one of Trump’s events after entering with a general admission ticket. The reporter, Ben Schreckinger, wrote that he had been repeatedly denied Trump campaign press credentials. A number of other outlets, including BuzzFeed and the Des Moines Register, have also reported that they were denied press credentials after drawing Trump’s ire.
Trump, who frequently complains about the Post’s coverage, wrote another Facebook post criticizing the newspaper shortly before announcing that he was revoking its press credentials.
“I am no fan of President Obama, but to show you how dishonest the phony Washington Post is, they wrote, ‘Donald Trump suggests President Obama was involved with Orlando shooting’ as their headline. Sad!” the candidate exclaimed.
The Post story in question was a write-up of Trump’s Monday morning Fox News interview. During the interview, Trump blasted President Obama for not characterizing last weekend’s terror attack in Orlando, Fla., as originating from ‘radical Islamic terrorism.’”
“Look, we’re led by a man that either is not tough, not smart or he’s got something else in mind,” Trump told Fox News.
Other news outlets also characterized Trump’s interview comments as suggesting that Obama may have intentionally undermined U.S. national security. The Post article’s headline was at some point softened to: “Donald Trump seems to connect President Obama to Orlando shooting.”
The Post spearheaded much of the investigative reporting into Trump’s charity fundraiser earlier this year on behalf of veterans. After news outlets repeatedly pressed his campaign, the Post discovered that Trump raised less than he said and did not write his own promised $1 million check until after the media scrutiny.
