Attorney General Todd Blanche said Donald Trump’s decision to restrict access for several news organizations was intended to address what he described as a “national security problem” created by inaccurate reporting.
The White House has barred MS NOW, CNN and Politico, prompting each outlet to challenge the restrictions in court as it seeks to regain access.
During an appearance on ABC News Sunday, anchor Martha Raddatz questioned Blanche about the administration’s claim that the media bans were justified on national security grounds.
“Our position has been clear from the beginning. What they say is exactly the issue when it comes to national security,” Blanche told Raddatz.
Raddatz pressed him to provide a specific example.
Blanche appeared taken aback by the request. “I’m sorry, wait, give you an example of when CNN doesn’t report accurately?” he responded.
“You cannot be asking me that! They don’t even disagree. There’s not even a real dispute that the information coming out of CNN and some of these other networks is wholly and completely, almost 100 percent negative towards the President,” he said.
Raddatz then cited a ruling by Judge Timothy Kelly, who determined that the restrictions were not based on national security, and asked Blanche to respond.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said Donald Trump’s restrictions on several mainstream news outlets were intended to address what he called a national security threat linked to inaccurate reporting.
MS NOW, CNN and Politico have all been barred from the White House and are challenging the restrictions in court.
“I’m not going to talk about the specifics of what the judge said, that wouldn’t be right,” Blanche replied.
He said he was instead outlining the government’s position in court, which he said echoed Trump’s repeated argument that “the complete misinformation and the inaccuracy and the one-sided news out of certain organizations does become a national security issue — and it’s not right for the people of the United States to have to put up with.”
The exchange grew more heated when Raddatz asked whether the White House might begin screening journalists before they board a flight with Trump or enter the White House.
“I did not say that! No, no, I did not say that! You don’t get to put words in my mouth!” Blanche said.
Raddatz acknowledged that Blanche had “a right to defend yourself there.”
“I’m not defending myself! You said I said something that I didn’t say!” he answered.
Blanche ultimately said news organizations were free to publish whatever they chose, but argued that access to the White House was not guaranteed.
“When it comes to the White House, it is the people’s house. It is a privilege and not a right to be there,” he said.
Blanche became visibly angry after anchor Martha Raddatz asked him to explain why the news outlets were considered a security threat.
Americans should expect that everything the press reads should have ‘even a whiff of accuracy about what’s actually happening’ and that if it doesn’t, the President has a right to call it out.
‘And if that’s not happening, then it is absolutely the president’s duty to make sure that the American people are hearing accurate news. It doesn’t have to be good for the president. It doesn’t have to be everything’s positive about what is happening in the administration,’ he said.
The President banned the news outlets last Friday in a fiery social media post accusing them of peddling ‘fake news.’ He was reportedly shown a slate of negative coverage from the outlets by his aide Natalie Harp in the moments before the ban was announced.
Still, a Politico reporter’s credentials were confiscated on Thursday after the ruling allowing re-entry took effect. An MS NOW reporter also had their credentials taken and was denied access, the outlet reported.
The three outlets filed their lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday and the case has rapidly progressed.
In solidarity with the banned outlets, major broadcasters like Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC – known as the TV pool responsible for covering presidential events on a rotating basis – have refused to cover the President in response.
It was believed the White House had made a U-turn on its media ban on Thursday, allowing reporters back in after initially turning them away before Xi Jinping and Donald Trump’s summit.
‘CNN was allowed back into the White House on Thursday at noon,’ host Kaitlan Collins posted on X after the debacle.
Covered positions television reporting positions on the North Lawn of the White House are seen with the West Wing in the background at the White House
That came after US District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a temporary restraining order early Thursday morning, effectively forcing the Trump administration to restore access to Politico, CNN and MS NOW, which the President banned last Friday.
The order will remain in place for 14 days while the legal battle plays out.
Kelly indicated early in the hearing that he was skeptical of the president’s decision to revoke access for select journalists, noting that the White House did not give them ‘constitutionally adequate due process.’
Responding to the ruling, Ted Boutrous, the lawyer representing the news outlets, told CNN: ‘This is a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law. We greatly appreciate the court’s swift action.’
The White House was prepared for the ruling in favor of the media outlets, as Trump admitted Tuesday he would ‘probably’ let the banned outlets return if the courts ordered him to do so.
Trump also acknowledged on social media that Kelly would rule in their favor.
‘They have drawn a great Judge, for them, a man who ruled in favor of Jim Acosta, who now seems to have disappeared from the Planet,’ the President wrote, vowing in advance to appeal the ruling.
Kelly was appointed by President Trump to the federal district court in Washington in 2017.
Just hours after the Trump administration to restore access to CNN and MS NOW, both networks are saying they’ve been banned from the President’s state dinner with China’s Xi Jinping
A reporter was told to ‘talk to Steven’ in reference to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung (pictured)
The thaw between Trump and the press appeared to last just a few hours as CNN announced their own ban live on the air as the White House festivities were getting underway.
‘CNN was denied access moments ago to cover the guest arrivals for President Trump’s state dinner for Xi Jinping,’ Erin Burnett confirmed.
Burnett said that the White House was refusing to confirm that the ban had been lifted.
She added that it was unclear ‘if, when CNN could return’ to covering the White House.
MS NOW senior producer Kyle Griffin confirmed that his network had also been denied access.
The network’s White House reporter Laura Barrón-López said on air that when she spoke to a staffer she was told to ‘talk to Steven,’ in reference to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
The media blackout has prevented widespread coverage of the meetings, and the broadcasters have mostly not taken any of the events live.
New media outlets like Real America’s Voice, a MAGA-friendly network, have filled the void with YouTube streams.
MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López (pictured) said on air that when she spoke to a staffer she was told to ‘talk to Steven,’ in reference to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung
CNN White House correspondent Betsy Klein works at the White House after she regained access earlier Thursday
On Saturday, MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner got the President’s attention when she asked him: ‘Do you only want outlets that support you to be a part of the press pool?’
‘No, no, I want real news. Not fake news, like you,’ Trump replied.
CNN was meant to cover the President’s journey to Knoxville, but the network was replaced by LindellTV, a station owned by Trump ally Mike Lindell.
‘I love an open, free press. What I don’t like is the fake press, with a group like CNN, with a few people watching, or MSDNC, which they changed I guess to NOW,’ he added, making a dig at Gardner’s network, which was formerly known as MSNBC.
‘You know why they changed it? Because their ratings are so bad. What I don’t like – wait, wait, quiet,’ Trump continued as Gardner hit back.
‘Do you not want tough questions, sir?’
‘What I don’t like is fake news, and they are 100 percent fake news. 100 percent. In two years,’ Trump responded as the reporter repeated her previous question.
‘In two years I doubt they did one good story and I won the election in a landslide,’ the President added as he appeared to point at Gardner, stating: ‘So what we don’t want, is we don’t want is fake news!’
Gardner, who was one of the reporters turned away by the administration last week, went on to post the transcript of their exchange on X.
Given the ban on CNN and MS NOW, the broadcast tents they used to occupy on White House grounds are now vacant with their lights off, and correspondents have opted instead to shoot live shots from the streets outside the presidential residence.
It is unclear when the White House will officially restore the outlets’ credentials.
