The White House Correspondents’ Association released a statement on Thursday blasting CNN for refusing to allow any print media reporters into the venue during the debate between former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden.
New York Times media reporter Ben Mullin shared a full statement — written by WHCA president Kelly O’Donnell — noting that CNN had “rejected our repeated requests to include the White House travel pool inside the studio.”
scoop: The White House Correspondents’ Association says it’s “deeply concerned” that CNN “has rejected our repeated requests to include the White House travel pool inside the studio.” The full statement: pic.twitter.com/qe3Y8Austz
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) June 27, 2024
According to O’Donnell’s statement, the WHCA supports CNN’s decision to allow a television feed of the debate and to allow still photographers from a number of outlets access to the venue, but criticized the network for refusing to allow even the White House travel pool access to the studio during debate proceedings.
“WHCA has been informed that one print reporter will be permitted to enter the studio during a commercial break to briefly observe the setting. That is not sufficient in our view and diminishes a core principle of presidential coverage,” O’Donnell wrote. “The White House pool has a duty to document, report and witness the president’s events and his movements on behalf of the American people.”
“The pool is there for the ‘what ifs?’ in a world where the unexpected does happen. A pool reporter is present to provide context and insight by direct observation and not through the lens of the television production,” the letter continued. “A pool reporter is an independent observer whose duties are separate from the production of the debate as a news event. The pool reporter works on behalf of the entire White House press corps.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP
O’Donnell went on to note that because the White House travel pool had all been cleared by Secret Service there would be no additional security risk – and also said that both the Biden campaign and the Trump campaign had stated that they had no issue with a pool reporter being present during the debate.
“WHCA respectfully requests that CNN adjust its plan and welcome the White House travel pool print representative to witness the debate in full for the sake of the news cycle, for history and mostly importantly for the American people,” O’Donnell’s letter concluded.
