The president of the White House Correspondents Association said President Donald Trump's suggestion to revoke the credentials of reporters because of negative coverage would be "an unconscionable assault on the First Amendment."
Margaret Talev, president of the WHCA, said in a statement, "Some may excuse the president's inflammatory rhetoric about the media, but just because the president does not like news coverage does not make it fake. A free press must be able to report on the good, the bad, the momentous and the mundane, without fear or favor. And a president preventing a free and independent press from covering the workings of our republic would be an unconscionable assault on the First Amendment."
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump once again railed against media coverage, but this time dangled the prospect of taking away reporters' credentials.
He wrote on Twitter, "The Fake News is working overtime. Just reported that, despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake). Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?"
During the presidential campaign, Trump's team barred the Washington Post and other news outlets from campaign events, after the candidate expressed anger at the news organization's coverage. But First Amendment experts believe the situation is different when it comes to access to the White House, which is a government property.
At a brief press availability on Wednesday as he held a cabinet meeting, Trump was asked by a pool reporter if he would ban the press from the White House. He did not answer.
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