The Trump administration caused an uproar on Friday when reporters from outlets such as the New York Times, Politico and CNN were barred from the White House press briefing.
Trump critics in the media and entertainment spheres have been outspoken about the move on social media, with some calling it an attack on the First Amendment. Others applauded reporters from Time magazine and the Associated Press for walking out of the briefing in protest.
“Trump is only allowing media that supports him,” wrote actor and director Mark Duplass. “That is dictatorship, plain & simple. Who is going to stand up and challenge this maniac?”
Also Read: Trump Escalates War on Media: CNN, NY Times, Politico Blocked From White House Press Briefing
The aggressive move by the White House came just hours after President Donald Trump addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference and spent 13 of his 48-minute speech denouncing the “dishonest” media. “They are the worst,” he said.
Washington Post editor Marty Baron also slammed the decision to hand-pick only friendly outlets for the briefing as “appalling” in a tweet.
See more reactions below:
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Trump Uses 13 Minutes of 48-Minute CPAC Speech to Bash 'Dishonest' Media