Trump complains CNN, MS NOW didn’t cover ‘made for Television’ Xi visit
President Donald Trump criticized CNN and MSNBC on Thursday for not carrying live video of his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, calling the visit "made for Television." The comments came the same day a federal judge restored the two networks' White House access.
Why It Matters
The dispute highlights continuing tensions between the Trump White House and major news organizations over media access and coverage decisions, and it coincides with a court action affecting those outlets' ability to report from the White House.
Key Facts
- Who: President Donald Trump; CNN; MSNBC
- What: Trump criticized the networks for not providing live video coverage of his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping
- Quote: Trump said the visit was "made for Television" and accused the networks of refusing to cover it
- When: Thursday (as reported)
- Related legal action: A federal judge reinstated CNN and MSNBC's White House access the same day
President Trump publicly rebuked CNN and MSNBC on Thursday for declining to provide live video coverage of his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, calling the event "made for Television" and accusing the networks of being "fake." His comments targeted the outlets' editorial decision not to air live footage of the encounter.
The criticism arrived amid a separate legal development: a federal judge restored the two networks' access to the White House the same day. The judge's action reinstated the outlets' ability to operate on the White House grounds after their access had previously been curtailed.
Trump framed the networks' choice not to televise the meeting as politically motivated, asserting it reflected unfair coverage. CNN and MSNBC did not provide live broadcast of the interaction, according to the president's remarks.
The episode underscores ongoing friction between the Trump administration and several major news organizations over news coverage and press credentials. The contemporaneous court ruling returned formal access to the outlets even as public disagreements over coverage decisions continued.
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