Reporter Blocked from White House Event

Wednesday CNN Pool reporter Kaitlan Collins was barred from an event in the Rose Garden at the White House.

Collins had been in the room during the “early afternoon meeting,” between President Trump and EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

She was there representing all television networks as a “pool reporter,” as is customary of the pool reporters she threw out questions toward President Trump, sometimes a President will answer, other times a President will not.

After the press was removed from the room, Collins was asked to come to Bill Shine’s office.

The former co-president of Fox News and now deputy chief of staff for communication Shine along with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders met with Collins in Shine’s office, “you are dis-invited from the press availability in the Rose Garden today,” Collins said of the exchange, she added, “They said that the questions I asked were inappropriate for that venue.” Collins also states they excused her of “shouting.”

Collins says she reacted by saying, “You’re banning me from an event because you didn’t like the questions I asked.”

Collins in the clip below asks about the Michael Cohen tape and the cancelled or postponed second meeting between Putin and President Trump. The President doesn’t answer her questions.

The White House banned Kaitlan Collins, a White House reporter for CNN, from a press event after Collins asked President Trump questions at an Oval Office photo op https://t.co/7QN8CoZ7sp pic.twitter.com/hWspq7W1yy

— CNN (@CNN) July 25, 2018

In response to her reaction Collins explains that both Shine and Sanders make it clear they were “not banning” CNN, that the photographers could still attend, but Collins says that made it clear, “you are not invited to the Rose Garden Today.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) responded on CNN’s the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer to the banning of Collins, he says he’s “angry,” and that “it is public property, it is not Donald Trump’s personal home or place of business.”

Senator Blumenthal responds to CNN reporter, @kaitlancollins, being banned from President Trump's event: "I am shocked and angry, deeply offended … It is public property, it's not Donald Trump's personal home or place of business" https://t.co/LPQ78hdKAQ pic.twitter.com/gNfM6A56qN

— The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) July 25, 2018

Twitter responses

White House Correspondents Assoc strongly condemns White House "misguided & inappropriate decision" to bar @CNN @KaintlinCollins from Rose Garden open event after she asked q's about Michael Cohen earlier as pool reporter for press corps

— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) July 25, 2018

Also I will take this opportunity to say @kaitlancollins is one of the hardest working, fairest reporters I know. She is just fantastic.

— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) July 25, 2018

As a member of the White House Press pool- @FoxNews stands firmly with @CNN on this issue and the issue of access https://t.co/TFwfLQtP9h

— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) July 25, 2018

The White House has responded

JUST IN: White House releases statement on incident Wednesday with CNN correspondent. pic.twitter.com/ujaUd5Ydmr

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 25, 2018

The statement ends with, “To be clear, we support a free press and ask that everyone be respectful of the presidency and guests at the White House.”

*Flashback*

From Friday July 20th, 2018

The Summit with Russia was a great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media. I look forward to our second meeting so that we can start implementing some of the many things discussed, including stopping terrorism, security for Israel, nuclear……..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2018

On Tuesday during an event in Missouri President Trump said, “Just stick with us. Don’t believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news.”

Here's the video: "Just stick with us. Don't believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news."

[Loud applause] pic.twitter.com/X345bCkn0I

— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) July 24, 2018

*End Flashback*

Why it matters

Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of our Republic. Government’s job is to defend our Constitutional Rights.