Did Michael Cohen Testimony Restrict Press Access At Trump-Kim Summit?

This has already proven to be a busy week for the White House and Capitol Hill. President Donald Trump is currently at his second publicized summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Vietnam. Meanwhile, his former attorney, Michael Cohen, is testifying to the Senate and House back in Washington. But despite the distance, these two events are now very intertwined for members of the press.

According to a report from CNN, Trump was asked by several reporters about the Cohen testimony during a photo op with Kim Jong-Un on Wednesday. Trump did not answer the questions, and less than an hour later, the White House blocked several reporters from being able to attend the next media opportunity between Kim and Trump. The reporters in question are from the Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, Associated Press, and Reuters.

This is nothing new for the Trump White House, which has consistently blocked or tried to revoke press credentials to several high-profile journalists. The most notable occurred late in 2018 when the White House requested to have the press pass for CNN’s Jim Acosta revoked only to have it dropped after the backlash.

However, this particular instance speaks to how sensitive the Cohen testimony is for Trump and his staff. And the timing of this couldn’t be worse. Days earlier members of the international press were forced to change hotels in Hanoi after they learned Kim Jong-Un was staying in the same one.

This latest press blocking has resulted in sharp criticism of the President and press treatment at the summit. The AP issued a statement saying, "The AP decries such efforts by the White House to restrict access to the president. It is critically important that any president uphold American press freedom standards, not only at home but especially while abroad."