White House excludes CNN from annual pre-SOTU lunch with news anchors

[demmiblue]

Source: CNN

New York (CNN Business)President Donald Trump's targeting of CNN is moving to yet another arena: The annual presidential lunch with television network anchors.

CNN anchors are being excluded from Tuesday's lunch, three sources said on Monday night.

Trump, like presidents before him, typically invites anchors from all the major networks to dine with him at the White House in advance of his State of the Union address. The lunch conversation is considered off the record, but it gives the anchors a sense of the president's state of mind before they anchor SOTU coverage. "Despite Trump's persistent attacks on the news media, he's kept up such traditions," Politico pointed out last year.

CNN's Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer attended last year's lunch. Blitzer has been attending these lunches longer than almost any other anchor — 20 years in a row.

Journalists from other networks are still planning on attending Tuesday's session, according to sources at those networks.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/03/media/donald-trump-state-of-the-union-lunch-cnn/index.html

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[eShirl]

1. CNN has to kiss orange ass if they want access.

[Javaman]

13. wolf blitzer should be up for the job. nt

[Sanity Claws]

2. All should boycott it.

[BlueMTexpat]

7. This! eom

[PatSeg]

10. Absolutely

Its not like they going to miss anything anyway. Might as well send a message.

[Botany]

16. They just did that in England/ Journalists stage mass walk-out after Downing Street bars critical r

https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/04/journalists-stage-mass-walk-downing-street-bars-critical-reporters-12177787/


Downing Street ordered senior journalists from some of the UK’s major news organisations to leave before a briefing on Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans – prompting a walkout by colleagues from across the media. One of those present described Downing Street’s actions as ‘sinister and sad’. Selected journalists were invited to Number 10 for a briefing from officials, but correspondents from organisations who were not on Downing Street’s hand-picked list also tried to get in.


snip

In protest at the treatment of colleagues from rival organisations, all the journalists present chose to walk out rather than receive the briefing. The Guardian’s deputy political editor Rowena Mason said that among those who refused the briefing and walked out were the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, ITV’s Robert Peston and journalists from the Daily Mail, Telegraph, the Sun, Financial Times and Guardian. The Daily Mirror’s political editor Pippa Crerar said: ‘I felt deeply uncomfortable being left to stand on one side of the room while colleagues’ names were read out one-by-one and they joined the group who were deemed ‘acceptable’ by No 10. Sinister and sad.’

[ancianita]

18. +1000

American journalists should do likewise. If 10 Downing can be boycotted, so can this impeached occupant.

[Ferryboat]

19. Agree 100%

Boycott all press events whenever he tries to exclude any press that is viewed unfavorably by WH.

[Jarqui]

24. Exactly nt

[EndlessWire]

31. I agree. n/t

[cstanleytech]

34. CNN should also let other Republicans know that they will not get air time should Trump do this.

[tanyev]

3. Then everyone should boycott.

Of course Fox wouldn’t, but every legit news organization should.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Make Birtherism Great Again

CNN should run stories on Birtherism in place of Trump coverage.

That might enable the Trump White House to see the error of its ways.

Birtherism redux today on DailyBeast ....

[gab13by13]

5. Why do we even hold this event?

[randr]

6. Shame on any who attend

[mahina]

8. What a boor.

[jayfish]

9. "Journalists from other networks are still planning on attending Tuesday's session"

And therein lies the rub.

[justhanginon]

22. This is one of the reasons we have the dictator in chief today.

Cowardly journalists. They ask questions with no follow ups on non answers, printing everything without vetting answers and general toadyism to his majesty because they might not get that next meaningless interview. I had hoped that their colleagues in UK would have inspired them but nope, they will march in like the obedient pet poodles they have become.

[bronxiteforever]

26. +1!

[redstateblues]

11. How can any self respecting journalist attend?

[chia]

12. This.

[gab13by13]

14. I guess it's the allure of

cold hamberders and a chance to sniff Trump's butt?

[EndlessWire]

32. LOL! n/t

[rickyhall]

15. CNN ought to declare war on dump - IMO

Go after him like enemy he is...

[ancianita]

17. Then ALL journalists should refuse to attend. Period. Or he will pick them off, one by one.

[Mr. Sparkle]

20. I wonder will the press stick up for CNN like they did for foxnews a few years ago.

This could get interesting!

[pangaia]

21. Control the courts, control the government departments, control the congress,

(or the secretariat, as the case may be), control the police, control the miliraty.... control the media.

done

[Chakaconcarne]

23. Bummer... they are going to miss out on hamberders

[Sanity Claws]

25. What about covfefe?

Hamberders and covfefe go together like a horse and carriage.

[vlyons]

27. Well who the hell wants to lunch with Donny Dimwit?

Not me

[louis-t]

28. And the revenge begins.....

[Mike Nelson]

29. Nobody should go...

... if anyone besides FOX attends, I hope their names are made public and we can shun them.

[C_U_L8R]

30. Selling Journalism out for cold hamberders

Every attendee should have all walked. Shameful that they stayed for the buffet.

[LeftTurn3623]

33. CNN should not show the SOTU tonight