Did They Refuse or Were They Blocked from Covering Xi? Trump and CNN Engage in Truth Game

Amid an ongoing standoff over reporting restrictions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, CNN denied allegations on September 24 (local time) that it had refused to cover Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States.

The explanation came after President Trump expressed frustration that major broadcasters failed to report on the official welcoming ceremony and dinner despite Xi visiting the U.S. for the first time in 11 years, prompting CNN to clarify that it was blocked by White House reporting restrictions.

CNN stated that one hour before Xi arrived at the venue, the White House announced that only photojournalists and audio technicians would be permitted to enter, while reporters and producers were barred from covering the event.

CNN explained that Xi arrived at the White House at around 10:00 AM on September 24, and after multiple attempts throughout the morning, CNN's White House correspondent was only able to enter around noon.

CNN also claimed that two of its White House correspondents attempted to cover the state dinner event on September 24, but were blocked before entering the venue and told only to consult with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.

The network maintained that it did not refuse coverage, but rather that the White House blocked access to the venue and disallowed reporting.

In particular, CNN pointed out that while access to the White House grounds was subsequently permitted, issues regarding the reporting capabilities of the television pool, including CNN, have yet to be resolved.

According to CNN, because the White House banned CNN while failing to provide a clear response regarding the operation of the pool, the press pool cannot report on White House events until the matter is clarified.

On the other hand, President Trump previously expressed explicit dissatisfaction that major U.S. broadcasters failed to capture Xi's arrival in the U.S. and the White House welcoming ceremony on camera.

Writing on Truth Social on September 24, he claimed, "CNN and MSDNC, just to show how fake they are, refused to cover the arrival at the White House of President Xi and Madame Peng Liyuan, the biggest and most beautiful event in years."

MSDNC is a derogatory term combining MSNow and the Democratic National Committee, reflecting President Trump's view that MSNow leans toward the Democratic Party.

President Trump added, "The event was wonderful and tailor-made for TV, but they are not only fake news outlets, they knew how great it would be and didn't want Trump to get the credit."

Previously, the Trump administration barred CNN, MSNow, and Politico from accessing the White House on September 18.

In response, the television pool, which includes CNN, suspended the rotation system in which members cover President Trump and share the coverage with domestic and foreign media.

CNN and other outlets filed a lawsuit demanding that the entry ban be lifted, and a court ordered the immediate reinstatement of access.

However, President Trump has launched "Trump TV," a broadcast delivering news about himself 24 hours a day, and continues to clash with CNN and other outlets by threatening that they cannot cover him either at the White House or elsewhere.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.