In a surprising move, Fox News has decided it will impose a news blackout on the Trump administration until the so-called “president” reinstates the media credentials of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, who were banned from the White House late last week in a fit of rage by the Toddler-in-Chief.
An email obtained by Politico spells out the Fox strategy: Starve the administration of any coverage, no matter the subject.
“This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,” the email reads, with “pool” referring to the small rotating group of journalists who cover the president on behalf of the full press corps.
“This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”
The “pool” refers to the press corps that travels with the president.
Most troubling for Trump is that the move by Fox could well jeopardize live coverage of his upcoming address to the United Nations, which scheduled to take place Tuesday morning.
“CNN was scheduled to serve as the television pool Monday,” Politico’s notes. “But a White House ‘daily guidance’ email sent to reporters Sunday night listed no TV pool — which consists of the five major networks, ABC, [CBS], CNN, NBC and Fox News — at all.”
FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News issued a statement Monday which read, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
For his part, Trump doubled down on his press ban, posting on social media early this morning, railing against “FAKE NEWS, and adding, “It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control,” he wrote. “It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”
The irony, of course, is that the biggest threat to U.S. national security currently resides in the Oval Office.
