Press Access Blocked
White House officials block media access to Xi Jinping dinner despite court order.
Anonymous
Key Points
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The guest arrivals CNN was barred from covering included prominent technology executives, among them OpenAI chief Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
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About an hour before Xi was scheduled to arrive, the White House told CNN it could send only a photojournalist and audio technician, rather than its usual reporter, producer and camera crew; a press official told the excluded reporter and producer to “talk to” Communications Director Steven Cheung.
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According to Mediaite, Trump announced the ban on CNN, Politico and MS NOW the previous Friday, and a judge ordered the administration to restore their access in the early hours of Thursday.
The White House blocked CNN and MS NOW reporters from covering guest arrivals at President Trump's state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, defying a federal judge's order to restore their access news18. White House officials told CNN it could send only a photographer and audio technician — barring its reporter and producer from the event. The outlets had sued after Trump revoked their press credentials the previous Friday theaustralian.
After about an hour of being locked out, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters were eventually allowed back onto White House grounds Thursday afternoon news24. Trump later criticized the outlets on Truth Social, claiming they chose not to cover Xi's arrival. The dinner guest list included tech executives like OpenAI's Sam Altman, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, and Google's Sundar Pichai upolitics.
White House Suddenly Restricts Coverage One Hour Before Xi Arrives
About 60 minutes before Xi's arrival, the White House told CNN it could only send a photojournalist and audio technician news24. The ban excluded CNN's reporter and producer — the core team needed to document the event. A press official told the excluded staff members to "talk to" Communications Director Steven Cheung upolitics. This direct restriction contradicted Thursday morning's court order.
Judge Orders Access Restored Hours Before Dinner
A federal judge ordered the White House to immediately restore press credentials to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, ruling the ban likely violated their constitutional rights upolitics. The court order came in the early hours of Thursday, just hours before the state dinner. Despite this legal directive, White House officials still attempted to limit CNN's access that afternoon news18.
Trump Criticizes Outlets Over Restricted Coverage Attempt
After the dinner, Trump posted on Truth Social accusing CNN and MS NOW of choosing not to cover Xi's arrival news24. He didn't mention the White House restrictions that had blocked their reporters. The outlets remained barred from full coverage despite the judge's ruling, limiting what their teams could actually document from the guest arrivals theguardian.
Tech CEOs Among Dinner Guests Excluded From CNN Coverage
The dinner featured prominent technology executives including OpenAI chief Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai upolitics. CNN's restrictions meant the outlet couldn't document these high-profile arrivals with its full reporting team. The guest list underscored the event's significance for Silicon Valley-administration relations upolitics.
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