Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to let ABC’s Martha Raddatz put words in his mouth during a tense interview about CNN’s exclusion from Air Force One. Blanche said the White House decides which reporters travel with the president and argued that inaccurate coverage from major outlets can have national security consequences. When Raddatz suggested he was proposing a new screening process for reporters, Blanche stopped her. “You said I said something that I didn’t say,” he told her.
The exchange aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” after a federal judge temporarily blocked White House restrictions on several news outlets. Raddatz opened by asking why CNN hadn’t accompanied President Donald Trump on a trip to Tennessee. The network had been assigned to provide television coverage for the press pool, but its crew said it was barred from Air Force One. Blanche responded that the president was tired of what he considered inaccurate reporting from certain outlets.
Raddatz repeatedly returned to CNN’s pool assignment. “CNN was the pool that day,” she said. “They were denied entry to Air Force One.” Blanche acknowledged that CNN hadn’t boarded the plane, but said the White House routinely determines who travels with the president. He rejected the idea that this was the only occasion on which a particular reporter or outlet had been left off a flight.
As ABC News reported, CNN’s exclusion left the president’s Tennessee trip without television pool coverage. Blanche said certain outlets had become upset over what happened the previous week and were refusing to use pool coverage even after reporters regained White House access under the temporary court order. “The president has every right to decide who gets to fly on his plane,” Blanche said. He emphasized the security considerations surrounding Air Force One and the White House.
Blanche went further, arguing that reporting he considers misinformation can affect the country’s dealings abroad. “That affects our relationship with our foreign partners,” he said. “That affects our relationship with our foreign enemies.” He said the issue also concerned the information Americans receive from outlets they expect to be reliable. When Raddatz brought up the court order, Blanche replied that the litigation was still underway and the order was not a final ruling.
Raddatz then asked whether he meant the administration would screen people before they boarded future flights. “I did not say that,” Blanche replied as the two talked over each other. When she continued, he objected to her account of what he’d said. Raddatz told him he had a right to defend himself, prompting another correction: “You said I said something that I didn’t say.”
Watch the exchange here:
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Blanche said reporters are free to publish what they choose, then drew a distinction between that freedom and getting allowed access to the White House. He referred to it as “the people’s house” and said being there was “a privilege and not a right.” He returned to his complaint about coverage from certain outlets, saying Americans should be able to expect accuracy when they hear news about their government. He added that such coverage didn’t have to praise the president.
Raddatz later quoted Trump’s complaint that some outlets wanted to diminish Republicans and his administration. Blanche accused her of pulling a few words from the president’s broader remarks about the media. Asked who would set the criteria for access to White House grounds or Air Force One, he said that decision wasn’t his to make. He added that coverage didn’t have to make Republicans look good, but said it had to be fair and balanced.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.