Trump revokes Washington Post's press access
June 14, 2016
Trump made the announcement on social media on Monday, shortly after lashing out at the paper for its coverage of his statements on this weekend's shooting in Orlando, Florida.
"Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post," Trump's team posted on the candidate's Facebook page. Trump also announced the decision via Twitter.
In an earlier post on Facebook, the billionaire angrily denounced a headline published in the Post about comments he made following the shootings in an Orlando gay club that led to the deaths of 50 people.
"I am no fan of President Obama, but to show you how dishonest the phony Washington Post is, they wrote, 'Donald Trump suggests President Obama was involved with Orlando shooting' as their headline. Sad!'" Trump wrote.
A rejection "of a free and independent press"
Following Trump's announcement, the Post's executive editor, Marty Baron, tweeted his response.
The Post is not the first major news organization to run afoul of the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, who has been criticized for his mistreatment of journalists and his apparent efforts to clamp down on the press. According to Mother Jones magazine, news outlets like Buzzfeed, the Huffington Post, the Des Moines Register, Univision, National Review and Mother Jones itself have all been denied press credentials in the past.
The Trump campaign also drew criticism earlier this month when a reporter for the political news website Politico was ejected from one of the candidate's rallies.