Florida Republican says Trump ‘has his own style’ in handling reporters covering the White House

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar defended President Trump’s decision to bar certain news organizations from the White House during an appearance on CBS News's Face the Nation. Salazar, who spent three decades at Telemundo and also worked at CNN Español and Univision, said the president has “his own style” for engaging with reporters and will decide who he wants to speak to. She added that the proliferation of social media and alternative outlets means those news organizations will still be able to cover the president.

Salazar characterized Trump as unusually accessible compared with President Biden, saying he speaks frequently with the media even if he does not allow particular journalists into specific venues. She also suggested that U.S. journalism is not as vigorous as when she began her career, offering a personal view on changes in televised news coverage.

President Trump announced the ban on Truth Social, saying it took effect immediately because of what he described as persistent “fake news” reporting, and warned more outlets could face restrictions in the future. Reporters from CNN, Politico and MS NOW were denied entry to White House grounds following the announcement, and each outlet publicly rejected the move.

Responses from the press and press advocates emphasized institutional and legal concerns. CNN indicated it could pursue legal action if the ban were enforced, MS NOW said it would take steps to protect its reporters’ constitutional rights, and Politico disputed a claim in Trump’s Truth Social post that it receives $8 million in government subsidies for a subscription product. CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, a former WHCA president, warned that drawing a line excluding some outlets could set a precedent other administrations might follow, a development she described as worrisome.