White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Correspondents Criticize White House Press Briefings

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James Brady Press Briefing Room, 2007. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

White House correspondents Monday publicly blasted press secretary Sean Spicer and the administration’s communications team for increasingly conducting off-camera questions-and-answers instead of the standard publicly broadcast press briefings.

Spicer has not held a publicly broadcast White House press briefing in over a week, as Monday he told the press cameras and audio recordings were not permitted throughout the proceedings.

CNN’s Jim Acosta took to the airwaves to criticize this decision by the administration:

“The White House press secretary is getting to a point where he’s just kind of useless. If they’re getting to this point where he’s not going to answer questions or go on camera or have audio, why are we even having these briefings or gaggles in the first place?”

During the briefing, Zeke Miller of Time Magazine challenged Spicer to answer “why our friends in radio and television can’t use this [briefing] live.”
Spicer’s response was that President Trump had made public comments during a photo opportunity with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela, and would again later in the day during a meeting at a technology council meeting.

There were no opportunities during either event for the media to ask President Trump any questions.

During the un-televised and un-recorded press briefing, press secretary Spicer also refused to take questions from CNN’s Acosta. The president and administration has pushed back frequently against stories critical of the administration on CNN, labeling the network as “fake news.”

“It’s off camera and you can’t answer questions?” Acosta yelled toward Spicer as the press secretary walked out of the briefing room.

Trump Again Characterizes Mainstream Media as “Fake News” on Twitter

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

President Donald Trump reiterated one of his usual phrases on Twitter Tuesday morning, blasting the press again as “fake news” after articles were published critical of the administration.

“The Fake News Media has never been so wrong or so dirty. Purposely incorrect stories and phony sources to meet their agenda of hate. Sad!”

The president regularly refers to the media as “fake news” and accuses journalists of printing fabrications and promoting an agenda when stories negative of the administration are published.

This latest tweet was posted the morning before Attorney General Jeff Sessions is scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee. It has been suggested the Attorney General mislead or incorrectly testified before the Senate that he only met with Russian officials twice during the presidential campaign, where stories have inquired as to whether a third meeting at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. took place in April 2016.

Trump also tweeted this week about the DOW and NASDAQ, stating the “#FakeNews [mainstream media] doesn’t report the great economic news since Election Day.”

According to TrumpTwitterArchive.com, President Trump has branded the mainstream media as “fake news” on Twitter at least 52 times on his personal account so far this year.

Senate Sergeant at Arms Bans Interviews in Hallways, Decision Quickly Reversed

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Tuesday morning, the Senate Sergeant at Arms staff announced tough new restrictions on media interviews to the members of the Senate press gallery.

The announced ban including prohibiting on-camera interviews in hallways, outside Senate offices or committee rooms without permission from the Senate Rules Committee, the Sergeant at Arms or Senate Radio and TV Gallery, depending on the location of the interview. Also, reporters were told that a special press pen would be created in the Capitol basement, a popular location for the media to ask questions of Senators on their way to the Senate floor or lunch cafeteria.

Bloomberg TV chief Washington correspondent Kevin Cirilli confirmed these new restrictions, tweeting he was told he could not stand outside the Budget Committee office to interview lawmakers.

These new rules were quickly rescinded later in the day.

A Senate official said the Rules Committee had never ordered the Sergeant at Arms office to enforce tougher media restrictions and suggested the announcement was a miscommunication. “Everything you did before, you can still do,” said an official familiar with the discussion.

Senator Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Rules Committee, released a statement Tuesday saying they made “no changes to the existing rules governing press coverage on the Senate side of the Capitol complex.”

Montana Rep-Elect Greg Gianforte Donates to Press Freedom Group

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Glacier National Park in Montana. Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Republican Representative-Elect Greg Gianforte, who won a special election to fill Montana’s at-large seat to the House of Representatives last month the day after after assaulting Guardian journalist Ben Jacobs, announced he has donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists as part of a civil settlement.

In a letter released Wednesday as part of the settlement, Gianforte states:

“My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful. As both a candidate for office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public. My treatment of you did not meet that standard.”

The donation to CPJ, which promotes press freedom worldwide, was initiated “in the hope that perhaps some good can come of these events,” the letter continues. “I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness.”

The Congressman-elect still faces criminal charges over the assault. He could be fined up to $500 or face up to six months in jail if found guilty.

Jacobs has signed a release foregoing any civil claim against Gianforte in return for the apology and donation. The reporter has also requested that a crowdfunding campaign to replace his broken glasses also be donated to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Media Likely to be Excluded During Trump-Putin Meeting

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Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump is likely to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Germany this upcoming July, although no firm plans have been made so far according to a Kremlin spokesperson.

But according to Russian newspaper Izvestia, if that were to occur, the media would likely be excluded. There would likely be no photo opportunity, no press briefing, and no joint statement issued after the meeting.

“There will just be the meeting,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted in the newspaper.

Trump and Putin agreed during a phone call in May to try to meet face-to-face around the dates of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Lawrence O’Donnell Signs New Contract with MSNBC

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Photo courtesy Jeff Maurone via Wikimedia Commons.

After weeks of uncertainty, Lawrence O’Donnell has renewed his contract with MSNBC. His current contract is set to expire on Sunday.

“The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” airs at 10PM EST on the cable news network. The show has been receiving a boost in the ratings of late, ranking as the third most watched cable news program overall, falling behind only MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” and Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

The former “West Wing” producer announced on Twitter Thursday that he will be on MSNBC “for the foreseeable future.”

Terms of the contract have not currently been disclosed

CNN Fires Kathy Griffin

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Photo courtesy Josh Hallett.

CNN has fired Kathy Griffin as co-host for the network’s annual  New Year’s Eve special after the comedian appeared in a video Tuesday holding a prop designed to look like the bloody severed “head” of President Donald Trump.

Griffin quickly apologized for the stunt, amidst backlash from both conservative and liberal politicians as well as countless others.

CNN posted on its Twitter account that: “CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year’s Eve program.”

CBS News Ousts Scott Pelly as Evening News Anchor

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Scott Pelly has been removed as anchor of the CBS Evening News.

Pelly will continue with the network as a full-time correspondent for CBS’ weekly television news magazine, 60 Minutes.  He has been out on assignment for the news show of late, but is expected to return to the Evening News for a farewell broadcast.

Sources say Pelly’s reassignment has been in the works for some time.  Until a permanent replacement is selected, guest anchors will fill in the evening news chair.

Pelly took over as CBS Evening News anchor in 2011, succeeding Katie Couric.  He has worked for CBS News for three decades.

While anchor, CBS Evening News has consistently rated behind both ABC and NBC evening news broadcasts in viewers.  It saw the steepest ratings drop of all three network broadcasts for the first quarter of 2017.

White House Communications Director Mike Dubke Resigns

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

After only three months on the job, White House communications director Mike Dubke has resigned. Dubke tendered his resignation on May 18, but the news has only become public, according to stories first published in Axios and the Washington Post.

According to reports, Dubke tendered his resignation on May 18, but offered to stay with the administration throughout President Trump’s first international trip.

As communications director, his primary focus was helping restructure the press operations of the White House, and is leaving on good terms, according to a senior administration official.

Dubke’s last day has yet to be set. It is assumed his job will remain open in the short term.

Montana Republican Candidate for Congress Charged with Assault Against Journalist

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Glacier National Park in Montana. Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Law enforcement officials in Montana have charged Republican House candidate Greg Gianforte with misdemeanor assault after a physical altercation against The Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs Wednesday evening in the candidate’s Bozeman campaign headquarters. Gianforte is running in a special election to Congress, being held Thursday.

The assault was recorded on audio and witnessed by other journalists.

According to Jacobs, and corroborated by other journalists and the audio recording, Gianforte body-slammed him and broke his glasses as the reporter asked questions about health care reform and ObamaCare repeal plans. The candidate denies the charges.

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin posted a release Wednesday night confirming Gianforte had been cited with misdemeanor assault.

“Following multiple interviews and an investigation by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office it was determined there was probable cause to issue a citation to Greg Gianforte for misdemeanor assault,” the statement reads. “The nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements of felony assault.”

The campaign released a statement saying the reporter intruded on “a separate interview in a private office” and “aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face.” Shane Scanlon, spokesman for the campaign, said

“Jacobs was asked to leave. After asking Jacobs to lower the recorder, Jacobs declined. Greg then attempted to grab the phone that was pushed in his face. Jacobs grabbed Greg’s write, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground.”

Eyewitnesses include three Fox News journalists, including reporter Alicia Acuna. She stated she and others “watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of ‘I’m sick and tired of this!'”

Gianforte is running for a special election to Congress against Democrat Rob Quist to replace former Rep. Ryan Zinke, who was nominated by President Trump to be Secretary of the Interior.

Click here to listen to The Guardian reporter Jacobs’ audio recording.