WHCA on “attempted government censorship of a free press”

“The White House’s decision to bar Associated Press reporters from today’s press conference with President Trump and Prime Minister Modi is outrageous and a deeply disappointing escalation of an already unacceptable situation. Let me be clear: the White House is seeking to curtail the press freedoms enshrined in our Constitution, and has admitted publicly they are restricting access to events to punish a news outlet for not advancing the government’s preferred language.

“Free speech and a free press are among the defining values of American democracy and must be preserved and protected. Our pool system is critical to ensure all of our members can cover the presidency, and prohibiting journalists from access because of their editorial decisions is viewpoint discrimination.

“The attempted government censorship of a free press risks a chilling effect on journalists doing their job without fear or favor on behalf of the American people.

“This is a textbook violation of not only the First Amendment, but the president’s own executive order on freedom of speech and ending federal censorship. We again call on the White House to immediately reverse course and restore access to AP journalists.”

-Eugene Daniels, White House Correspondents’ Association President