Trump Said It Out Loud. His Cabinet Says It Never Happened.

Bulwark Takes

Will Salatan critiques the Trump administration's recent actions to ban specific news organizations from the White House and Air Force One.

Key takeaways

• Attorney General Todd Blanche argues that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right for the press.
• The administration is attempting to frame media bans as a matter of national security due to 'misinformation'.

Main topics

• White House press bans
• First Amendment protections

Notable quotes

Access to the White House is a privilege, it's not a right.

Conclusion

The episode serves as a warning against the use of administrative powe

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) For many of us, going further isn't a choice. It's a feeling we can't ignore. Because ambition has a way of outgrowing where it began. Turning dreams into direction. Every journey brings us closer to the life we imagine. So, where will your journey take you? Etihad. Beyond Borders. Speaker 8 (0:29) Hey, it's Will Salatan from The Bulwark. I just watched the Sunday political shows, so you don't have to. But I got to show you a couple of them. So this one is just unbelievable. It is Todd Blanche, the attorney general. He's making excuses for the president of the United States banning news organizations from the White House and from Air Force One. So Blanche was on ABC and Martha Raddatz. asked him about the ban. Here it is. There Speaker 4 (1:00) was no TV pool coverage of the president's trip to Tennessee this weekend. It was supposed to be CNN. They said they were banned from Air Force One. What is the justification for denying access? Speaker 6 (1:15) Well, the president hasn't denied access. That's not the right way to describe it. This is what the president has said is that he is sick and tired of certain media outlets just refusing to report accurate news. The Speaker 8 (1:26) president hasn't denied access. Are you kidding me? That is literally what happened. The White House said to CNN, no, you can't board the plane. And the attorney general sits there and lies to you about it. like you're living in a dictatorship. And the government says, oh, no, that thing you heard about, that thing with all the witnesses, oh, that never happened. And then Blanche says, actually, he says, actually, it's OK for the president to ban news organizations from the White House because access to the White House is a privilege. It Speaker 6 (2:07) is a privilege. It is a privilege to be in the White House for anybody. And the president knows that it's the people's house. That being in the White House is a privilege, it's not a right. What the free press can do is they are free to report whatever they want, okay? Of course they can. But when it comes to the White House, it is the people's house. It is a privilege and not a right to be there. Speaker 8 (2:30) Oh, oh, it's a privilege. The president, the president can let Fox News. and One America and Lindell TV, he can let them into the White House to give him favorable coverage. And he can ban CNN and Politico because they actually tell the truth. And all that is okay, according to Blanche, because, oh, because access, access is a privilege. That is some straight up authoritarian bullshit. That is the Attorney General of the United States telling you.