'I Don't Know Why Everybody's Going Along With This': White House Stonewalls Press
CNN's Jim Acosta says Trump administration's suppression of press access "doesn't make any sense" and should not be tolerated
Journalist Jim Acosta, the senior White House correspondent for CNN, was among those expressing alarm and frustration on Monday after the White House held a press briefing that barred the use of both audio and video recordings.
"I don't know why everybody is going along with this," Acosta said on air after the closed briefing with Sean Spicer, with Trump's press secretary. "It just doesn't make any sense to me. It just feels like we're sort of slowly but surely being dragged into a new normal in this country where the president of the United States is allowed to insulate himself from answering hard questions."
"I don't know what world we're living in right now" he added.
Trump has previously threatened to stop holding press briefings entirely and the White House communications team have previously held audio-only gaggles. Monday, however, was the first briefing in which reporters were forbidden from airing even audio recordings of what was said.
Such rules, complained Acosta, make the questions and answer sessions "basically pointless at this point."
Watch:
Later, Acosta's colleague at CNN, Brian Stelter, said that criticism of the White House has grown as access has been steadily rolled back. "Inch by inch by inch," he said, "the Trump administration is rolling back press access."
Journalists at CNN were far from the only ones expressing dismay:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Journalist Jim Acosta, the senior White House correspondent for CNN, was among those expressing alarm and frustration on Monday after the White House held a press briefing that barred the use of both audio and video recordings.
"I don't know why everybody is going along with this," Acosta said on air after the closed briefing with Sean Spicer, with Trump's press secretary. "It just doesn't make any sense to me. It just feels like we're sort of slowly but surely being dragged into a new normal in this country where the president of the United States is allowed to insulate himself from answering hard questions."
"I don't know what world we're living in right now" he added.
Trump has previously threatened to stop holding press briefings entirely and the White House communications team have previously held audio-only gaggles. Monday, however, was the first briefing in which reporters were forbidden from airing even audio recordings of what was said.
Such rules, complained Acosta, make the questions and answer sessions "basically pointless at this point."
Watch:
Later, Acosta's colleague at CNN, Brian Stelter, said that criticism of the White House has grown as access has been steadily rolled back. "Inch by inch by inch," he said, "the Trump administration is rolling back press access."
Journalists at CNN were far from the only ones expressing dismay:
Journalist Jim Acosta, the senior White House correspondent for CNN, was among those expressing alarm and frustration on Monday after the White House held a press briefing that barred the use of both audio and video recordings.
"I don't know why everybody is going along with this," Acosta said on air after the closed briefing with Sean Spicer, with Trump's press secretary. "It just doesn't make any sense to me. It just feels like we're sort of slowly but surely being dragged into a new normal in this country where the president of the United States is allowed to insulate himself from answering hard questions."
"I don't know what world we're living in right now" he added.
Trump has previously threatened to stop holding press briefings entirely and the White House communications team have previously held audio-only gaggles. Monday, however, was the first briefing in which reporters were forbidden from airing even audio recordings of what was said.
Such rules, complained Acosta, make the questions and answer sessions "basically pointless at this point."
Watch:
Later, Acosta's colleague at CNN, Brian Stelter, said that criticism of the White House has grown as access has been steadily rolled back. "Inch by inch by inch," he said, "the Trump administration is rolling back press access."
Journalists at CNN were far from the only ones expressing dismay: