A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference following Tuesday's midterm U.S. congressional elections at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 7, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
International press freedom organization, Reporters Without Borders, has issued an alert about Trump press freedom after the White House revoked CNN’s Jim Acosta’s press credentials.
Reporters Without Borders said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, “Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is shocked by the unbridled hostility President Donald Trump exhibited toward several White House correspondents during a November 7 press conference, which culminated in the revocation of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House press credentials. This punitive action is undemocratic and sends a chilling message to those watching about how the president of the United States ought to behave towards reporters asking him tough questions.”
Chilling is the accurate description of the White House’s motive for taking away Acosta’s press credentials. Jim Acosta was on to Trump and this White House long before many of his mainstream press colleagues. Acosta spoke regularity about the efforts of this White House to undercut press freedom. This point of this action was to make an example out of him so that the press will be “nicer” to Trump.
“The revocation of Mr. Acosta’s White House press pass, especially on fabricated grounds, is an absolute blow to freedom of the press,” said Margaux Ewen, Director of RSF’s North America bureau. “This severe measure, paired with the president’s treatment of several other esteemed White House reporters, is unacceptable given the already hostile environment for reporters in the United States. President Trump has continued to refer to journalists as the ‘enemy of the people’ and fails to treat them or their profession with respect. Now he appears to be retaliating against a reporter for asking tough questions of his administration by denying him access. The White House must cease its continuous assault on the First Amendment.”
CNN, The White House Correspondents Association and the American people are fighting for Acosta because what the White House did to him was an attack on press freedom. Acosta challenged this White House, and they responded by taking away his press credentials. Trump’s behavior is petty, childish, dangerous to the free press, and placing our constitutional liberties under threat.
Taking back the House was a good first step, but the fight to protect our democracy from Trump has escalated to a new level of urgency.
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