Veteran and former journalists are renewing their calls on the White House Correspondents’ Association to speak out on the Trump administration’s attacks on reporters and press freedom when he attends its rescheduled dinner on Friday.
A letter to the WHCA, organized by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and executive producer Ian Cameron, reiterates earlier calls to condemn the president’s attacks on the news media. More than 500 veteran and former journalists signed on to a letter in advance of the April dinner.
The April event, though, was ended abruptly after a gunman attempted to enter the Washington Hilton ballroom by breaching a security checkpoint, with a Secret Service agent struck by a bullet into his protective vest. The gunman, Cole Tomas Allen pleaded not guilty to a series of charges, including attempted assassination of the president.
“Since that evening, the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom have become even more egregious,” the new letter to the WHCA stated. “The President’s Department of Justice has subpoenaed journalists and their phone records. President Trump has threatened to revoke licenses of broadcasters who refuse to acquiesce to his demands.”
The letter called on the WHCA to “forcefully stand up for freedom of the press in front of the President, publicly defend the journalists he attacks, and vow to resist his administration’s concerted effort to
undermine the First Amendment.”
Among other things, they cited the Justice Department’s subpoenas to New York Times journalists after they reported on the lack of security features on the new Air Force One, a retrofitted 747 that was a gift from Qatar. The FCC has ordered ABC stations to seek early renewals of broadcast licenses, in what the network called a threat to the First Amendment. The FCC said that the early renewal was related to an investigation of the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices, but it came after Trump called on the network to fire Jimmy Kimmel over one of his jokes.
Among the organizations signing on to the letter in April were the Society for Professional Journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Press Photographers Association, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Coalition of Women in Journalism, the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Media & Democracy Project.
The dinner, to be held at a smaller venue at the Waldorf Astoria, is scheduled to include remarks from Trump, presentation of awards and scholarships, and entertainment from Oz Pearlman. The WHCA announced that special awards will be presented to Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service officer, and to the staff of the Washington Hilton.
This post was corrected to reflect that the WHCA dinner will be held at the Waldorf Astoria.
The complete letter is below:
To the Officers, Board of Directors, and Members of the White House Correspondents’
Association (WHCA):
In April, hundreds of veteran journalists called on the White House Correspondents’
Association to use its Correspondents’ Dinner to forcefully oppose the Trump
administration’s attacks on journalists and on freedom of the press.
The WHCA rescheduled the dinner for this Friday, July 24th, after a gunman brought an
abrupt and terrifying end to the April event.
Since that evening, the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom have
become even more egregious. The President’s Department of Justice has
subpoenaed journalists and their phone records. President Trump has threatened to
revoke licenses of broadcasters who refuse to acquiesce to his demands.
Yet, the White House Correspondents’ Association still plans on hosting the President
at its rescheduled dinner.
Our message to the White House Correspondents’ Association is now more urgent:
forcefully stand up for freedom of the press in front of the President, publicly defend the
journalists he attacks, and vow to resist his administration’s concerted effort to
undermine the First Amendment.
WHCA President Weijia Jiang says the dinner’s purpose is “to celebrate the First
Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it.”
We believe it is hypocritical to celebrate the First Amendment in front of the man who
relentlessly attacks it. We urge the WHCA to condemn the administration’s actions from
the podium and pledge to fight all attempts by his administration to undermine this core
pillar of a functioning democracy.
Recent Trump Administration Attacks on Freedom of the Press
- On July 10 the Trump administration subpoenaed several New York Times reporters,
seeking to compel them to testify about their story regarding security concerns with the
new Air Force One jet donated by the Qatari government. The New York Times condemned
the move as a “brazen act” that violates the constitutional protection of freedom of the
press. - The administration has also subpoenaed phone records of several New York Times
journalists and their relatives. The newspaper called the administration’s actions an
“attempt to intimidate journalists and chill their ability to report on the administration.” - President Trump called for ABC and NBC to lose their “broadcast licenses” after the
networks decided not to air his live primetime address. - On April 6 President Trump threatened jail time for journalists who refused to disclose
their sources about a U.S. fighter jet shot down in Iran. - In April, FCC Chairman Brenden Carr ordered Disney to submit early license renewals for
its 8 owned television stations. This highly unusual request followed a Jimmy Kimmel
comment that angered the administration. - Carr has also launched an investigation into ABC’s daytime talk show, “The View” for
alleged violations of the equal-time rule for political candidates. Disney says this action
infringes on the First Amendment and free speech. - The President continued his personal attacks against journalists, targeting women
journalists and undermining trust in the media. - In April, he referred to Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov as one of the “Least
Attractive and Talented People on all of Television” after she reported on his low
approval ratings - In a “60 Minutes” interview about the Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, when Norah
O’Donnell read from the alleged gunman’s manifesto Trump told her, “You should be
ashamed” of yourself. “You’re a disgrace.” - On May 7, at an event by the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, ABC News’ Rachel Scott
asked Trump why he was focused on renovation projects amid rising gas prices during
the Iran war. Trump turned to his aides and said “This is one of the worst reporters.
She’s with ABC fake news, and she’s a horror show,” calling her question “a disgrace to
our country.” - On May 12, Trump told MS NOW’s Akayla Gardner, a Black correspondent who
questioned the ballooning cost of the White House ballroom, “I doubled the size of it,
you dumb person… You are not a smart person.” - On June 3, during an Oval Office press availability he called CNN’s Kaitlin Collins “a
corrupt reporter, [a] young, beautiful woman who never smiles. I never see a smile on
her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes.” - On June 5th during an interview for NBC’s Meet the Press, Kirsten Welker pressed
Trump for evidence of election fraud claims. Trump told her, “You’re either crooked or
you’re stupid.” He walked out of the interview saying, “Let’s call it quits because I’ve
had enough. Thank you darling.” - The Pentagon continues to try to restrict reporter access, requiring journalists to be
accompanied by an oeicial escort. In July, a judge determined this violated the First
Amendment and ordered the Pentagon to temporarily stop the escort requirement. - On July 16th, the Trump administration announced it will drastically shorten visas for
foreign journalists.
