After President Donald Trump's staffers barred a CNN White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, from attending an open press conference at the White House on Wednesday, Fox News tried to stand "in solidarity" with their cable news competitor as a network — but several prominent personalities, and Fox News views, refused to get on board with the show of support.
"After posing questions to President Trump earlier in the day as the network pool reporter, Collins was told by White House deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine and press secretary Sarah Sanders that her questions were 'inappropriate,'" CNN explained in a statement on Wednesday night. "They were not. Just because the White House is uncomfortable with a question regarding the news of day doesn't mean the question isn't relevant and shouldn't be asked. This decision to bar a member of the press is retaliatory in nature and not indicative of an open and free press."
The statement concluded, "We demand better."
The statement also outlined the five questions posed by Collins: Two of them asked whether Trump felt betrayed by his former lawyer Michael Cohen, the third inquired as to whether he was worried about what Cohen might say to prosecutors, the fourth asked if he is worried about what is on the other tapes and the fifth inquired as to the cause of Russian President Vladimir Putin canceling a previously planned visit to the White House.
Fox News, along with the entire White House press corps, issued a statement of support for Collins and CNN.
"As a member of the White House press pool, Fox stands firmly with CNN on this issue of access. So far no response from the White House," Bret Baier, the chief political anchor at Fox News, declared in a statement that was rebroadcast on CNN and praised by their senior media correspondent Brian Stelter.
Baier later stood by the words of the network.
He then spent much of Wednesday evening defending himself against an angry mob of Fox News viewers on Twitter:
On Thursday, Fox News host Shepard Smith made it clear that he stands with CNN and journalists in general.
"For those of you at home, if I may: journalists are not the enemies of the people. It’s quite the opposite. Our profession is enshrined in the Constitution and the Fourth Estate holds the essential job of being your eyes and often ears and when appropriate, your voice. It’s a cornerstone of our Republic," Smith told his viewers.
He added, "As an aside, when the president attacks journalists, we question his motivation and try to discover the underlying reason. For historically those that regularly and as a matter of pattern attack the messenger, who degrade and belittle the purveyors of truth, and work to diminish the free press, often find the facts displeasing, and endeavor to keep you from knowing them."
As Smith made it clear, "We are on guard and we hope, politics aside, for the greater good, that you are, too."
That sentiment had been communicated earlier by Smith's boss.
"We stand in strong solidarity with CNN for the right to full access for our journalists as part of a free and unfettered press." Jay Wallace, who worked for many years alongside White House deputy chief of staff for communications (and former Fox executive) Bill Shine, who reportedly told Collins she was prohibited from covering Trump on Wednesday, said, representing one side of the spectrum.
Hours later, however, Fox News host Laura Ingraham targeted CNN for derision on Twitter:
Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs went on a prolonged rant blasting CNN and defending Trump's decision to boot Collins from the open press event on Wednesday:
"I guess my question would be, who the hell are you? The president does insist on respect!" Dobbs proclaimed. "That is, by the way, the White House press association. It is the same one that of course made us endure one Michelle Wolf. Press secretary Sarah Sanders says they told Collins another reporter from CNN could join the event, but Collins responded by saying it didn't matter to her because she hadn't planned to be there anyway. And that's the White House has to put up with? Are you kidding me?"
Michelle Wolf is the comedian who roasted Trump and Sanders at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April and was lambasted by conservatives for doing so.
Dobbs then added, "Anyway, all I have to say about that is about time there were consequences for disrespectful behavior in the White House."
As Jake Tapper noted on Thursday, Dobbs' current position is a direct contradiction of the stance he took six years ago when President Barack Obama's White House criticized Neil Munro of The Daily Caller for shouting out questions at an event.
"What is rude is a president not speaking to the American people and taking the questions of the White House press," Dobbs said at the time.
For their part, the White House has dismissed the little pushback it has received from Fox News.
"I think that the question isn’t are the press allowed to ask questions, this president obviously isn’t afraid of questions. We answer them routinely. And that incident aside, just being polite to the process, to the presidency, to the protocol, and not shouting questions long after the press has politely been asked to leave, long after you’ve had opportunity to be there with the president, I think it's a very reasonable request," Conway told reporters gathered on the White House lawn on Thursday.
She added, " And that incident aside, I'm just speaking more broadly, the civility that you all call for sometimes when you're in your broadcasts, I think it should start here at the White House, and just show a little bit more respect.
Shares