First Lady Melania Trump's office has allowed reporters from CNN and Politico to cover her Fostering the Future Together event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, despite restrictions imposed by her husband, President Donald Trump, on journalists from those outlets.
Trump announced the decision to block CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters from the White House on Friday, citing the spread of “fake news.” The very next day, the decision began to be put into practice – CNN correspondent Betsy Klein’s pass stopped working when entering the White House, after which security confiscated it. MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner made it through two security checkpoints, but at the third she was told her accreditation had been deactivated. Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry.
On Monday, CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a joint lawsuit in federal court in Washington. They demand that their journalists' access to the White House be restored and ask the court to temporarily block the ban while the case is considered.
The parties are scheduled to present their cases to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The Justice Department has already made its position clear: access to the White House is a privilege, not a right. The department considers the president’s actions lawful, since he is “interested in ensuring that journalists comply with minimum professional standards, as well as in protecting information related to national security.”
According to a CNN source, Melania Trump is aware of the deprivation of journalists' accreditation, but her office independently decided whether to allow representatives of these media to attend the closed event. CNN received accreditation confirmation on Sunday evening, the day after the president's ban took effect. The event itself took place on Tuesday.
CNN journalists, however, also covered Trump’s speech at the General Assembly, but under accreditation issued by the UN. Before the head of the White House spoke, channel correspondent Caitlan Collins asked a question about the war with Iran, which noticeably surprised the president.
“I'm surprised that CNN is here and covering my speech. You shouldn't be here,” Trump said.
As CNN notes, the first lady's decision reflects the independent style of her office – Melania Trump spends most of her time away from the White House, maintains a small circle of trusted people and mainly works on her own projects.
On Tuesday, differences in the spouses' positions also emerged on the issue of artificial intelligence (AI). During a speech at the UN General Assembly, the president proposed renaming AI “superintelligence,” saying the United States would “develop it, not contain it,” while the first lady called for a more cautious approach and drew attention to the risks associated with irresponsible use of technology.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming entire industries and expanding humanity’s ability to access the largest amount of information ever available to us. But access in itself does not provide opportunities. We must give our children the tools they need and teach them to use them wisely,” the first lady said at the Fostering the Future Together event.
Launched last year by Melania Trump, Fostering the Future Together brings together 57 countries seeking to expand the use of innovative technologies in education.
At the meeting, the first lady announced new partnerships with technology companies Adobe, Amazon, Intel, Starlink, Google and Zoom. Industry representatives at the event included Apple Chairman Tim Cook and PayPal CEO Enrique Lores.
This year, the association plans to hold events at the G20 summit in Miami and the ASEAN conference in the Philippines, as well as organize regional meetings in Europe and the Caribbean.
