The White House banned a CNN White House correspondent from attending an event that was open to the press in the Rose Garden on Wednesday afternoon.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins was the “pool reporter” for television networks Wednesday when she was told by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and Bill Shine, deputy chief of staff for communications, that she was no longer invited to attend a press availability with Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the news outlet reported.
The “pool” is a small group of reporters who each day distribute comments and details about the president’s activities to other members of the press. Pool reporters generally ask the president questions when given the opportunity.
During a meeting between Trump and Juncker in the Oval Office, the pool was brought into the room and Collins asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump’s former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen. Trump did not answer her questions.
CNN reported that Collins was later asked to come to Shine’s office where she was told by Shine and Sanders that she could not attend the Rose Garden event.
“They said, ‘You are dis-invited from the press availability in the Rose Garden today,'” Collins told CNN. “They said that the questions I asked were inappropriate for that venue. And they said I was shouting.”
“You’re banning me from an event because you didn’t like the questions I asked,” Collins said she responded.
Shine and Sanders then told her that “we’re not banning your network. Your photographers can still come. Your producers can still come. But you are not invited to the Rose Garden today,” she said.
The network said in a statement the White House barring Collins from the event was retaliation.
“Just because the White House is uncomfortable with a question regarding the news of day doesn’t mean the question isn’t relevant and shouldn’t be asked,” the statement said. “This decision to bar a member of the press is retaliatory in nature and not indicative of an open and free press. We demand better.”
Statement regarding CNN press access at today’s White House event. We demand better. pic.twitter.com/s4lSTcHVak
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) July 25, 2018
The White House did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
The White House Correspondents’ Association responded to the incident in a statement from chair Olivier Knox.
“We strongly condemn the White House’s misguided and inappropriate decision today to bar one of our members from an open press event after she asked questions they did not like,” he wrote. “This type of retaliation is wholly inappropriate, wrong-headed, and weak. It cannot stand.”
“Reporters asking questions of powerful government officials, up to and including the President, helps hold those people accountable. In our republic, the WHCA supports the prerogative of all reporters to do their jobs without fear of reprisal from the government.”
