Trump attacks American stations for not broadcasting Xi Jinping's welcome
Quick Look
- Donald Trump criticized CNN and MSNBC for not broadcasting Xi Jinping's welcome to Washington, claiming that their viewership was falling due to a lack of credibility.
- The conflict is related to the earlier exclusion of journalists from these stations from the White House, which were temporarily suspended by the court.
- As a gesture of solidarity, other television stations also did not broadcast the event.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The dispute between the Trump administration and the US media has been ongoing since his first term, including accusations of fake news, exclusion of journalists from events and court disputes over access to public information.
Trump attacks US stations for not broadcasting Xi's welcome
Donald Trump's entry on the Truth Social platform appeared on the day of Xi Jinping's visit to Washington. The US president stated that the viewership of CNN and MS NOW was falling due to - as he assessed - the lack of credibility of both stations.
"The viewership of CNN and MSDNC has dropped significantly. The main reason is lack of credibility. They write only negatively about a man who won the election by a huge margin," wrote Donald Trump.
In his entry, he emphasized that the stations refused to cover one of the "biggest and most beautiful events" in years. According to him, it was "made for television", but CNN and MS NOW did not want its organization and course to be associated with the US president.
"Today they refused to cover one of the largest and most beautiful events that have taken place in many years. They did not want Trump to be credited, so they refused to be present," he wrote.
Dispute over journalists' access to the White House
Thursday's conflict is another installment of the dispute between the Trump administration and the American media. Last week, the US president announced the exclusion of CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists from the White House. He justified his decision by saying that - in his opinion - journalists from these editorial offices publish false information about him.
The editors challenged the decision in court, arguing that the administration's actions violated constitutional guarantees regarding press freedom.
On Wednesday night, federal judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration to restore journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico access to the White House. He found that the manner in which their passes were taken away probably violated the constitutional right to due process. The order was to be valid for 14 days.
Journalists returned, but not immediately
On Thursday morning, despite the court's order, journalists from the editorial offices involved in the dispute still had problems with entering the White House. CNN reported that some reporters were turned away by Secret Service agents. Ultimately, representatives of CNN, MS NOW and Politico regained access to the complex around noon, when events related to Xi Jinping's visit were already underway at the White House.
As a gesture of solidarity with CNN, the other networks - ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News - did not broadcast the ceremony welcoming the Chinese leader.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The court may extend the order to restore journalists' access to the White House after 14 days.
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the court extend the order restoring access to journalists after 14 days?
- What will be the administration's next steps towards media critical of the president?
- Will other stations join the boycott of broadcasting Trump-related events?
