Alwaght- US administration has blocked a number of major media outlets from a press briefing, almost one month after Donald Trump issued an executive order that banned travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
CNN, The New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times, The Hill, the Daily Mail and BuzzFeed News were left out from Friday’s off-camera briefing, which was hosted by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
Trump has on many occasions accused the blocked media of publishing fake stories about his administration.
Sarah Hockabee Sanders, White House’s principal deputy press secretary, defended the move in a statement, saying the press pool was invited “so everyone would be represented and get an update from us today."
The White House Correspondents Association protested the decision, saying it would discuss the matter with the administration.
National Press Club President Jeffrey Ballou said the "deeply disturbing" move "harkens back to the darkest chapters of US history and reeks of undemocratic, un-American and unconstitutional censorship."
Earlier in the day, Trump disparaged the media at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) outside Washington, accusing some outlets of being "the enemy of the people" for making up sources “when there are none".
Reporters at the Associated Press and Time magazine walked out of the briefing when hearing that others had been barred from the session.
Trump's provocative order to ban entry to people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya was suspended after a federal judge halted president's executive order.
