Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page November 08, 2018 The day after Democrats took control of the House of Representatives, opening the door to increased oversight of the Trump administration, what does the president do? He fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions and holds a bizarre press conference in which he arbitrarily lashes out at journalists, resulting in a reporter’s White House press pass being canceled. While it’s tempting to dismiss Trump’s ongoing and escalating feuds with some in the media as mere distractions from the more consequential ousting of Sessions, both actions are driven by a unifying theme: to escape accountability. Firing Sessions, and using an obscure law to install a lackey in his place, was a clear effort to circumvent the Senate confirmation process and threaten the Mueller probe, while barring a reporter was an effort to intimidate journalists. At the Wednesday press conference, Trump grew visibly hostile with reporters. After CNN’s Jim Acosta had asked him about why he had mischaracterized the migrant caravan traveling to the US border as an invasion, the president deflected by insulting him. A brief row ensued and a female intern moved to remove Acosta’s mike. Later, the White House canceled Acosta’s press credentials, falsely claiming he had placed his hands on the intern. The incident constitutes an extraordinary attack on the press as a whole. Advertisement The issue here is not whether the White House is entitled to suspend Acosta’s… [Read full story]
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