A leading Senate Republican isn’t willing to call President Donald Trump’s decision to bar three news outlets from the White House unconstitutional. Press freedom groups say the media ban move breaks the law. However, the Senator disagrees.
John Barrasso says Trump did not violate the Constitution by barring three outlets
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., on NBC News’ Meet the Press was asked directly whether Donald Trump had violated the Constitution by banning reporters from Politico, MS NOW, and CNN from White House coverage. His answer: “No, I believe the press has an obligation to report fairly.”
When the host asked a second time whether Barrasso agreed with the media ban itself, he didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “We all respect and value the freedom of the press — it’s in the Constitution.” The senator then drew a comparison to Trump’s past suspensions from social media platforms. “He was banned from Twitter. He was banned from Facebook, and I didn’t see people come to his defense,” he said. “So it goes both ways. The press has an obligation to report fairly, and the president doesn’t see it happening that way.”
Asked a third time, specifically about the First Amendment, Barrasso gave nearly the same response he’d opened with: “I believe the press has an obligation to report fairly.” He went on to argue the controversy won’t sway the midterms. “The bottom line on all of this is: This is not going to have an impact on an election 44 days from now,” Barrasso said. “People are going to go to the voting booth. They’re going to make a decision based on their life, their future, what they believe is best for them and their families.”
Trump announced the media ban Friday on Truth Social. He said it came “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” The president also cautioned that “other outlets” might face the same treatment, without specifying which ones. Additionally, he wrote that outlets “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES.”
