On Monday, the presumptive Republican nominee pulled credentials of another major media outlet (this time the one that uncovered Watergate) because he was unhappy with a headline.
The Washington Post was one of many outlets that picked up on Donald Trump’s comments Monday morning that seemed to suggest President Obama had some sort of sympathy to terrorists or a connection to the Orlando shooting. The massacre — the largest in U.S. history — took place early Sunday morning and killed 49 people and injured 53 others.
"Look, we're led by a man that either is not tough, not smart, or he's got something else in mind," Trump said on Fox & Friends. "And the something else in mind — you know, people can't believe it. People cannot, they cannot believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts and can't even mention the words 'radical Islamic terrorism.' There's something going on. It's inconceivable. There's something going on."
"He doesn't get it or he gets it better than anybody understands — it's one or the other, and either one is unacceptable,” Trump said.
"Donald Trump seems to connect President Obama to Orlando shooting," The Washington Post’s headline read. Trump was not happy.
“I am no fan of President Obama, but to show you how dishonest the phony Washington Post is, they wrote, 'Donald Trump suggests President Obama was involved with Orlando shooting' as their headline. Sad!” Trump wrote on Facebook. “Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post,” he continued.
Later Monday his campaign issued a statement that said said The Post "covers Mr. Trump very inaccurately."
"We no longer feel compelled to work with a publication which has put its need for 'clicks' above journalistic integrity," the statement said. "They have no journalistic integrity and write falsely about Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump does not mind a bad story, but it has to be honest."
“Donald Trump’s decision to revoke The Washington Post’s press credentials is nothing less than a repudiation of the role of a free and independent press. When coverage doesn’t correspond to what the candidate wants it to be, then a news organization is banished," Executive Editor Marty Baron said in a statement. "The Post will continue to cover Donald Trump as it has all along — honorably, honestly, accurately, energetically, and unflinchingly. We’re proud of our coverage, and we’re going to keep at it.”The Washington Post is also reporting "a comprehensive biography of Donald Trump" set to come out in August. The book Trump Revealed "will be reported by a team of award-winning Washington Post journalists and co-authored by investigative political reporter Michael Kranish and senior editor Marc Fisher."
The Washington Post is not the first outlet to be banned by the Trump campaign; others include Politico, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, The Des Moines Register, the Union Leader, Univision and Fusion.
Post staff reacted to their fate on Monday via Twitter:
