NY Post reporter barred from rare Biden event by White House.

Alana GoodmanMay 9, 2023

Biden’s White House Blocks New York Post from Covering Public Event

The White House has reportedly blocked the New York Post from covering a public event with President Joe Biden, raising concerns about media access and press freedom. The Post, which broke the story about Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop in 2020, was denied access to Biden’s press event on airline policies with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The move comes as federal prosecutors are wrapping up a tax investigation into Hunter Biden, which could result in criminal charges.

Empty Media Seats Raise Questions

Photos from the event show that there were around 20 empty media seats, undermining the White House’s explanation for blocking the Post. The White House press office told the Post that it was “unable to accommodate” its request for credentials, but the remarks were live-streamed and could be viewed on WH.gov.

Setting an Anti-Press Freedom Precedent

Steven Nelson, the Post reporter who was denied access, accused Biden’s staff of “setting an anti-press freedom precedent by prescreening journalists allowed to attend large indoor events.” He noted that the White House Correspondents’ Association has called on the administration to restore large indoor spaces to their historical status as open to all. If the Biden White House continues to discriminate against large outlets such as the New York Post, future administrations could do the same to other newspapers.

End Discrimination Against Large Outlets

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and the White House Correspondents’ Association also did not respond to a request for comment. The Post’s exclusion from the event raises concerns about media access and press freedom, and if the Biden White House continues to discriminate against large outlets, it should end now.