Donald Trump Just Banned the Washington Post From Covering His Campaign

The Post joins a long list of blacklisted publications (including Mother Jones).

Carlo Allegri/ZUMA

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Donald Trump issued an edict on his Facebook page Monday afternoon: The Washington Post will no longer be credentialed to cover his campaign. “Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign,” Trump wrote, “we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post.”

Trump appeared to take issue with the Post‘s characterization of his response to this weekend’s Orlando shooting, in which he suggested that President Barack Obama had some involvement in the attacks, according to the Post. The paper now joins an extensive list of publications that have incurred Trump’s wrath—though this is the first time his campaign has publicly acknowledged a blanket ban on allowing a media outlet to cover his campaign. As I reported in March, Trump’s campaign has regularly denied press credentials to outlets including Buzzfeed, the Huffington Post, the Des Moines Register, Univision, National Review, and Mother Jones.

For a time, being denied credentials was more of a hassle than a true impediment for reporters seeking to cover Trump’s events. When I’ve been turned down for credentials in the past, I’ve waited in the general public line, which is sometimes hours long, and still been able to attend Trump’s events. Recently, however, the Trump campaign ejected a Politico reporter from an event in California after he entered the event with the general public.

Update: Shortly after Trump made his pronouncement on Facebook, Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron fired back.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

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