During a recent Twitter rant on “fake news,” President Donald Trump once again suggested pulling the credentials of some White House reporters.
Pressed about the remark during Wednesday’s daily briefing, press secretary Sarah Sanders went off on a reporter who asked if the White House was seriously considering taking away reporters’ credentials.
“Duh” Moment
According to The Daily Caller, Sanders was asked if pulling credentials was a line the administration would be willing to cross.
“I’m standing up in front of you right now taking your questions,” said Sanders as she bluntly stated the obvious.
She proceeded to note how Trump’s White House was regarded as “one of the most accessible” in U.S. history and reaffirmed their commitment to a free press. She also noted that Trump had taken questions from reporters earlier and would do so again later in the day.
Unsatisfied, the reporter pressed, “How is the suggestion of taking American journalists press credentials away advocating for a free press in this country?”
Sanders exploded, “The fact that I’m standing here taking questions. The fact that the president took questions from your colleagues just two hours ago demonstrates this White House’s commitment to accessibility and to providing information to the American public.”
She then rattled off a few recent examples of “fake news” prior to placing the onus for earning credentials with decent journalistic integrity on the reporters themselves.
Shut Down
“We are here. We are taking questions,” Sanders stated. “We are doing everything we can to provide regular and constant information to the American people and there is a responsibility by you guys to provide accurate information.”
A reporter snidely interjected, “We wouldn’t be here to ask those questions without those credentials.”
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Sanders bluntly replied, “And you are. You are clearly sitting here asking them right now.”
These reporters don’t even realize the idiocy of their questions sometimes, complaining about their press credentials being pulled while asking questions inside the White House. Sanders set them straight, even if they refuse to accept her answer.