Major television networks, including ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and Fox News, announced on Monday that they will suspend coverage of President Donald Trump in solidarity with CNN, one of the three outlets—along with MS NOW and Politico—that the president banned from the White House on Friday.
In a post to Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW […] and Politico […] from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS! Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
In response, White House television pool members from ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media, and NBC News released a joint statement on Monday, reading: “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
To comment on how the administration’s ban could affect the news media landscape—one already polarized by political affiliation—Vogue spoke to Ashley Parker, a staff writer at The Atlantic and former White House bureau chief at The Washington Post. Here, Parker discusses the importance of maintaining a physical press presence at the White House, her experience of “typical” White House press briefings, and more. Read the full interview below.
Vogue: What was your first reaction upon hearing about Trump banning MS NOW, CNN, and Politico from the White House?
Ashley Parker: I guess my reaction was twofold. First of all, it’s fundamentally unacceptable. He doesn’t have the right to do that, and it’s another escalation against the free press from a president who has gone to war with the media in various ways since his 2015 campaign. If I’m being totally honest, my other reaction was a little bit of confusion. When Trump tries to ban an outlet or do something like this, there’s a very specific reason that he normally shares, but I don’t think we have a clear understanding of why Politico, why MS NOW, why CNN, and why right now.
Can you describe the typical structure and scene at Trump-era White House press briefings you’ve attended?
I should say that The Atlantic does not have a seat in the briefing room, so I’m drawing on my time covering Trump at The Washington Post, but the briefing room is a very small room. It’s much smaller than people imagine from seeing it on TV. There are assigned seats for various outlets, but because there’s so much demand and interest with Trump, people can stand along the walls and in the back of the room. Trump briefings can be incredibly packed in a way that they rarely were under President Biden, especially at the beginning of a term or if there’s something newsy going on.
The briefings can often be contentious, but I should make clear that briefings under every president I’ve covered can sometimes be contentious. Some of that is just the nature of the job of the reporters and of the press secretary. I think the biggest difference with Trump’s press secretaries is that they are very clearly performing for an audience of one. There’s a sense that Trump is not necessarily always—but is often, especially depending on the day’s news— watching the briefing and watching his press secretary perform. Obama or Biden might have learned if something problematic or interesting happened in the briefing, but they were not sitting there consuming the briefing in real time as president.
