Just hours after the Trump administration was compelled to restore CNN and MS NOW’s access, both networks said they had been barred from covering President Donald Trump’s state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Early Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the administration to restore access for Politico, CNN and MS NOW, which Trump had excluded the previous Friday.
That restoration appeared to last only a few hours. CNN announced the new restriction live on air as preparations for the White House dinner 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 reported.
Burnett said the White House had declined to confirm whether the network’s access had officially been restored.
She added that it remained unclear “if, when CNN could return” to its White House coverage.
MS NOW senior producer Kyle Griffin separately confirmed that his network had also been denied entry.
The network’s White House reporter, Laura Barrón-López, said on air that a staffer directed her to “talk to Steven,” referring to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
Just hours after the Trump administration restored access to CNN and MS NOW, both networks said they had been barred from the President’s state dinner with China’s Xi Jinping
MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López (pictured) said on air that a staffer directed her to “talk to Steven,” referring to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung
Trump himself criticized the two networks over their declining ratings on Truth Social ahead of the banquet.
“CNN and MSDNC’s Ratings have dropped considerably. The primary reason is NO CREDIBILITY! They only write badly about a man who won the Election IN A GIANT LANDSLIDE, winning all 7 Swing States, the Popular Vote, and 86% of the Counties, etc., and whose Popularity has grown because of the unprecedented SUCCESS our Country is having on both the World Stage, and at home,” he wrote.
Trump also claimed that both networks had declined to cover Xi and his wife’s arrival at the White House.
“The event was magnificent — Actually made for Television but, because they’re Fake News, and because they knew how good it would be, they didn’t want credit to be given to ‘TRUMP,’ they refused to be there. That’s why they have such poor Ratings.”
He said, however, that the media “will be in attendance” at what he predicted would be a “spectacular” state dinner.
In an email to Our News Outlet, an MS NOW spokesperson said the network had recorded a nearly 30 percent year-over-year increase in viewership and was the most-viewed news organization on YouTube.
Our News Outlet contacted the White House and CNN for comment on the networks’ reported exclusion.
The White House continued to deny access to the outlets Thursday morning and confiscated credentials from some employees before permitting them to return later in the afternoon.
CNN White House correspondent Betsy Klein works at the White House after regaining access earlier Thursday
A reporter was told to “talk to Steven,” referring to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung (pictured)
Trump 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, the outlet reported. 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 coverage on a rotating basis – have refused to cover the President in response.
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ABC News was listed as the TV pool for Thursday’s state visit by China’s president but is refusing to go into any events until the White House gives proof that CNN journalists have been allowed inside, the Guardian reported.
As Trump and Melania greeted Xi and his wife, Madame Peng, at the airport on Wednesday, many broadcast teams broke down their cameras and watched the events without filming them.
Despite the blackout, Trump cheerfully praised the Chinese leader, noting that this visit was the first time Xi has been met him at the White House.
He said: ‘We have spent time together all over the world.’
White House TV correspondents prepare to go live as the CNN booth is empty on the White House grounds
Xi Jinping (2nd-L) and first lady of China Peng Liyuan (L) greet US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump (R) during an arrival ceremony at the White House today
During those visits, Xi and Trump have ‘forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually.’
The US president said it was a ‘great privilege’ to visit Beijing earlier this year and said Xi showed ‘spectacular and very beautiful hospitality.’
He said he and the First Lady ‘are honored to host you’ in ‘the beautiful White House.’
The Chinese president, meanwhile, said he and Trump have established a ‘personal rapport’ over the years and encourage their governments to communicate.
But Xi said those talks can be improved.
‘We should strengthen communication,’ he said. ‘China and the United States are different in national condition, but through candid, in-depth, and continued dialogue, our two countries can understand each other better, seek common ground, while shelving differences and build up mutual trust.’
Xi said he and Trump have pushed better communication among their lieutenants ‘in charge of foreign affairs, economic matters, financial cooperation and law enforcement and people-to-people exchanges.’
He added later that the nations’ militaries can ‘maintain regular dialogue’ as part of an overall relationship that involves ‘healthy’ competition that is ‘kept within bounds.’
Trump’s week has been packed with major events from attending the UN General Assembly meeting in New York City to the historic state visit with Xi in Washington, which concludes on Friday.
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.
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.
Our News Outlet contacted the White House for comment.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) released a blistering condemnation of the ban in the wake of the media crackdown.
‘The President said it plainly in the Oval Office, describing his own planned action as a ‘ban on the free press,” Jacqui Heinrich, WHCA president, said in a statement.
‘The Constitution protects the freedom of the press from government interference. That protection does not depend on whether the president likes a news organization’s coverage, agrees with its reporting, or approves of the questions its journalists ask.’
