Washington, Oct 22 (IANS) The White House Correspondents’ Association has accused the Trump administration of retaliation after a journalist who clashed with the President was reportedly removed from an upcoming presidential press-pool assignment.
The objection came on Wednesday, a day after President Donald Trump repeatedly rebuked Andrew Feinberg, The Independent’s White House correspondent, during an Oval Office event announcing incentives for people who expose government fraud.
Feinberg had been scheduled to serve as the print-pool reporter for Trump’s Thursday trip to Sioux City, Iowa. Mediaite, citing reporting by Semafor’s Maxwell Tani, said Feinberg confirmed that the White House had removed him from the assignment without explanation.
“The White House Correspondents’ Association strongly objects to the decision to restrict a journalist’s coverage simply because the President didn’t care for their questioning. That is retaliation,” Association President Jacqui Heinrich said in a statement circulated to reporters.
“The American public’s right to an independent press depends on reporters being able to do their jobs without fear that challenging the president will cut off their access.”
The Association’s statement did not name the journalist or specify the scope or duration of the restriction. The reported action concerns a particular travel-pool assignment; the material reviewed does not establish that Feinberg’s White House credential has been revoked.
Tuesday’s confrontation developed during questioning about the administration’s proposed rewards for reporting fraud.
Trump snapped at Feinberg several times as he attempted to ask questions.
Later, when Feinberg began asking about planned changes involving a Washington golf course, Trump cut him off and repeatedly ordered him to be quiet.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you a sick person?” Trump asked.
“Not that I know of, sir,” Feinberg replied.
The event itself had included an appeal by Trump for journalists to help identify misuse of public money.
As IANS reported on Tuesday, Trump proposed giving informants one per cent of government funds recovered through fraud investigations. He said journalists could qualify, subject to applicable laws and approval from their news organisations.
His proposal went beyond the Justice Department’s separately announced programme offering payments of $10,000 to $30,000 for qualifying information leading to criminal fraud charges.
Vance said the administration intended to reward help in recovering money, rather than limiting the initiative to criminal prosecutions. The administration had not provided a complete written framework explaining how the proposed recovery-based payments would work alongside existing whistleblower arrangements.
–IANS
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