Let’s just say that the Trump administration is not handling the judge’s ruling to give CNN’s Jim Acosta back his press credentials very well. Not only did we see White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders go against this ruling and claim that Acosta would only be “temporarily” given back his press credentials, but the President of the United States is making further threats to the press if they hold him accountable for his actions.
Earlier today, Trump gave his own response to losing to CNN in court – and he warned that if reporters weren’t nice to him and his administration, they would walk away. Claiming that next time he would “win” against the free press, Trump said:
No. Just, people have to behave and they have to do — we’re writing up rules and regulations to make our position. I think you were treated very unfairly, both of you. I think you were treated very unfairly because you had somebody interrupting you. And if they don’t listen to the rules and regulations, we’ll end up back in court and we’ll win. But more importantly, we’ll just leave, and then you won’t be very happy, because we do get good ratings.”
The president was then asked, “You talk about rules and regulations, what do you mean?” Trump responded by threatening to leave the scene where any reporter is just trying to do their job:
Decorum. You can’t take three questions and four questions, and just stand up and not sit down. Decorum. You have to practice decorum. You were there; you understood, and you understand. We want total freedom of the press; that’s very important to me. It’s more important to me than anybody would believe.
But you have to act with respect. You’re in the White House. And when I see the way some of my people get treated at press conferences, it’s terrible. So we’re setting up a certain standard, which is what the court is requesting. And always freedom of the press, always First Amendment. But that’s the way it is.
And we always have the option of just leaving. You know, if we feel that things aren’t being treated properly, that people aren’t being treated properly, we always have the right to leave. And I think the other media, the other press in the room, will not be very happy if that happens. But I’ve instructed my people: When they’re not treated properly, you have the right to just leave any time you want.
This is so extremely insulting to the standards that presidents used to be held to – and we’re lucky to have a free press that continues to fight back despite these warnings and abuse. Watch Trump make this disgusting threat below:
Featured image via screen capture
