Todd Blanche says inaccurate and ‘one-sided’ news could justify White House press ban
Blanche defended the Trump administration’s argument for barring outlets including CNN, MS NOW and Politico
Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that “one-sided” news coverage can become a national security issue serious enough to justify restricting media access to the White House.
Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Blanche defended the Trump administration’s argument for barring outlets including CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
“What I’m talking about is the government’s position and what the Department of Justice said in court,” Blanche said, arguing that inaccurate and “one-sided news” can eventually become a national security concern.
The comments follow a federal judge’s decision ordering the administration to temporarily restore credentials for journalists from the three outlets.
Judge Timothy Kelly ruled the credentials had been revoked without “constitutionally adequate due process” and questioned the administration’s national security justification.
He described the cited reporting as “routine” and said government arguments “offer little to back up their asserted national security interest."
Despite CNN regaining access to the White House complex, the outlet was barred from travelling aboard Air Force One on Saturday while scheduled to perform television press pool duties.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz also criticised “media bias across the board” during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, saying it “needs to be fixed.”
