WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump taunted news outlets such as CNN for continuing to cover him despite his banning them from the White House campus while other broadcast outlets refuse in solidarity to tag along with him.
Trump told reporters attending the United Nations General Assembly that he revoked White House press credentials for CNN, MS NOW and Politico because they were “dangerous,” he alleged. But the outlets are fighting in federal court to regain their credentials and continue to cover him despite their access to the White House being denied.
“I think when news is fake and it’s actually dangerous, you have to clear it out,” Trump said during a meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Asked how the outlets were dangerous,
Trump alleged they made “false” and “malicious” statements about the war with Iran, and that they claimed to have sources when they didn’t.
“It’s very dangerous for our country,” Trump said. “I won’t stand for it.”
Trump said on social media on Sept. 18 that he was revoking the credentials for the three organizations. Reporters who arrived at the White House on Sept. 19 had their credentials seized.
CNN was scheduled to accompany Trump to New York for the U.N. meeting as part of about a dozen broadcast, print and photo journalists who join the president when he travels.
But CNN couldn’t participate because of the dispute, and other broadcast outlets refused to travel with Trump in what is called a “pool,” whose members share video, pictures and text.
The news organizations continue to cover Trump without special White House access. Trump taunted them for continuing to trail him, such as when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked Trump before his U.N. speech when the war with Iran would end.
"You should not be here covering me,” Trump said before his speech. “You said you weren't going to cover me. You shouldn't be covering me."
He added later that he expected the news outlets to continue covering him, just as they would during a state visit by China's President Xi Jinping later this week.
"By the way, they say there weren’t going to be here, but they came," Trump said. "I knew that would happen. What, are they not going to be with President Xi tomorrow?"
The three organizations have sued the administration to regain access to the White House by arguing that they were denied their First Amendment rights to a free press under the Constitution and their right to due process under the 14th Amendment.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee who was assigned the case, had ruled in favor of CNN anchor Jim Acosta when the White House revoked his credentials during a 2018 dispute.
A reporter asked Trump whether he would allow the three banned outlets back if a federal judge ruled against him. Trump said he expected the judge to rule against him, and he has previously said he would appeal such a decision.
“This is a judge who is not a particularly fair judge,” Trump said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'You should not be here.' Trump taunts CNN at U.N. amid media feud
