The Trump campaign denied a NBC News correspondent access to an event Sunday in New Hampshire. The reporter was the designated pool reporter so that was bad news for more than just NBC News.
The reporter, Vaughn Hillyard, was cut off as a temporary measure. He was told that if he was the designated pool reporter Sunday, “the pool would be cut off for the day..”
What ticked off the campaign? It looks like it was an earlier interview with Rep. Elise Stefanik on Friday that irritated them because Vaughn Hillyard asked her about the E. Jean Carroll case.
It’s believed by sources at the network that the campaign refused to allow Hillyard in the pool because of his questions on Saturday to Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a Trump surrogate, about the E. Jean Carroll case. A jury last year found Trump liable for sexual assault of Carroll and later defaming her, and a trial is currently taking place in New York largely to determine additional damages.
“Do you believe E. Jean Carroll?” Hillyard asked.
Stefanik said, “They are all witch hunts against Donald Trump and the reason is he is pulling ahead of Joe Biden.”
She seemed to be irritated by the question and added, “The media is so biased. This is just another example of the media being out of touch…”
Hillyard added, “It’s not me. It’s not the media, it’s a jury that found…”
Stefanik added, “The media is so out of touch with the American people. Like 2016, you are going to see the American people speak out loudly and clearly with their vote.”
Elise Stefanik is rumored to be on Trump’s short list for running mates. He likes her fighting spirit. If you have seen her in interviews, you know that recently she has made a point of tell those in the media that they are biased in their reporting. She was angered by the NBC reporter’s attempt to drag her into that defamation lawsuit. She mentioned it to Trump and his people and that was that. The campaign has not commented on the matter.
“Do you believe E. Jean Carroll?” @VaughnHillyard asks Elise Stefanik.
Stefanik: “No, of course not… The media is so biased. This is just another example of the media being out of touch.”
Vaughn: “It’s not the media, it’s a jury that found he sexually abused E. Jean Carroll.” pic.twitter.com/8UIZCSmkUj
— Kate Sullivan (@KateSullivanDC) January 20, 2024
Hillyard regularly covers Trump. He’s a longtime correspondent. He notified his colleagues that he would not be allowed to cover the Trump events Sunday.
“Your pooler was told that if he was the designated pooler by NBC News that the pool would be cut off for the day,” Mr. Hillyard wrote in an email to the rest of the pool that was obtained by The New York Times. “After affirming to the campaign that your pooler would attend the events, NBC News was informed at about 2:20 p.m. that the pool would not be allowed to travel with Trump today.”
A pool reporter is used when events take place in crowded places, like campaign events. One reporter goes and covers the event on behalf of other news organizations. The news outlets who participate in the television pool are ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and Fox. The networks take turns with the schedule. The networks pick the journalist assigned to the pool.
Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, confirmed that the pool did not attend a Trump New Hampshire event but denied that the decision had anything to do with reporting. He said the campaign doesn’t “bar reporters based on their reporting.” He noted that the press pool system is less formal for presidential candidates than the system in place that covers the White House. “We work with each other when it makes sense for both sides,” Mr. Cheung said.
The event with Trump in New Hampshire was the first after Ron DeSantis announced he was suspending his campaign. Hillyard was allowed to cover the campaign later in the day. The shut-out was temporary for the press pool. He didn’t get to cover the event that had all the buzz.
Here’s the thing. Let NBC News squawk all they want and the media will support them in doing so. However, the truth is that most political campaigns do this from time to time. A campaign will get irritated with the press coverage and kick a reporter off the press bus or plane. It happens. Heck, remember during the Obama White House when Obama demanded that Democrats boycott Fox News? His administration went so far as to monitor then-Fox reporter James Rosen and his parents. Earlier last week, the Haley campaign banned a Daily Mail reporter from covering its campaign when the outlet ran a story on Haley’s alleged sexual relationships with two men in South Carolina while she was in South Carolina politics. The accusations are that she cheated on her husband with them. One was a lobbyist and one a political strategist. Allegedly there are affidavits and they are coming forward. Those in the know in South Carolina say this was an open secret in those days and everyone in political circles knew about it. Haley’s campaign has kicked the Daily Mail out for the rest of her campaign, however long that may be.