SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Politico reports that the Trump International Hotel in Washington has banned the press for inauguration week. (Photo: mr_t_77/flickr/cc)
'Ominous': Trump Hotel in DC Bans Journalists During Inauguration Week
Politico reports that the hotel, which sits on federal property, has banned press
Jan 18, 2017
The Trump International Hotel in Washington has banned the press from its premises for inauguration week, Politicoreports Wednesday.
Politico reporter Daniel Lippman was prevented from entering the property on Wednesday after being stopped and identifying himself as a journalist. Lippman writes that hotel's director of sales and marketing Patricia Tang sent an email stating: "Media is not allowed in this week in respect of the privacy of our guests."
The hotel is on federal property--it's owned by the General Services Administration. Trump and his three adult children, Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr., hold a 60-year lease on it, a link to which Lippman includes in his story. It states that barring "a risk to public safety," the tenant cannot close access, and that time restrictions would need approval of the landlord. In addition, Lippman notes,
D.C. legal code prohibits public places like hotels from denying "the full and equal enjoyment" of its facilities to people based on "source of income," among other reasons, calling it an "unlawful discriminatory practice." "Source of income" could reasonably include one's occupation as a journalist.
Josh Voorhees writes at Slate that the story "reveals two ominous signs about what we can expect in a Trump administration. First, it's a reminder that Donald Trump and his associates--both inside the government and out of it--have no interest in allowing reporters access unless it is on Trump's terms."
In addition, notes Voorhees, the move also helps expose "the absurdity of Trump's announced plan to separate himself from his family business empire, of which the new D.C. hotel has become a pillar."
The development follows a vow from the U.S. press corps that Trump will "face a united front" if he continues his hostility towards the press.
In an open letter published Tuesday at the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), the publication's editor-in-chief and publisher, Kyle Pope, also warns Trump that "off the record and other ground rules are ours--not yours--to set" and that "we decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Trump International Hotel in Washington has banned the press from its premises for inauguration week, Politicoreports Wednesday.
Politico reporter Daniel Lippman was prevented from entering the property on Wednesday after being stopped and identifying himself as a journalist. Lippman writes that hotel's director of sales and marketing Patricia Tang sent an email stating: "Media is not allowed in this week in respect of the privacy of our guests."
The hotel is on federal property--it's owned by the General Services Administration. Trump and his three adult children, Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr., hold a 60-year lease on it, a link to which Lippman includes in his story. It states that barring "a risk to public safety," the tenant cannot close access, and that time restrictions would need approval of the landlord. In addition, Lippman notes,
D.C. legal code prohibits public places like hotels from denying "the full and equal enjoyment" of its facilities to people based on "source of income," among other reasons, calling it an "unlawful discriminatory practice." "Source of income" could reasonably include one's occupation as a journalist.
Josh Voorhees writes at Slate that the story "reveals two ominous signs about what we can expect in a Trump administration. First, it's a reminder that Donald Trump and his associates--both inside the government and out of it--have no interest in allowing reporters access unless it is on Trump's terms."
In addition, notes Voorhees, the move also helps expose "the absurdity of Trump's announced plan to separate himself from his family business empire, of which the new D.C. hotel has become a pillar."
The development follows a vow from the U.S. press corps that Trump will "face a united front" if he continues his hostility towards the press.
In an open letter published Tuesday at the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), the publication's editor-in-chief and publisher, Kyle Pope, also warns Trump that "off the record and other ground rules are ours--not yours--to set" and that "we decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates."
The Trump International Hotel in Washington has banned the press from its premises for inauguration week, Politicoreports Wednesday.
Politico reporter Daniel Lippman was prevented from entering the property on Wednesday after being stopped and identifying himself as a journalist. Lippman writes that hotel's director of sales and marketing Patricia Tang sent an email stating: "Media is not allowed in this week in respect of the privacy of our guests."
The hotel is on federal property--it's owned by the General Services Administration. Trump and his three adult children, Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Jr., hold a 60-year lease on it, a link to which Lippman includes in his story. It states that barring "a risk to public safety," the tenant cannot close access, and that time restrictions would need approval of the landlord. In addition, Lippman notes,
D.C. legal code prohibits public places like hotels from denying "the full and equal enjoyment" of its facilities to people based on "source of income," among other reasons, calling it an "unlawful discriminatory practice." "Source of income" could reasonably include one's occupation as a journalist.
Josh Voorhees writes at Slate that the story "reveals two ominous signs about what we can expect in a Trump administration. First, it's a reminder that Donald Trump and his associates--both inside the government and out of it--have no interest in allowing reporters access unless it is on Trump's terms."
In addition, notes Voorhees, the move also helps expose "the absurdity of Trump's announced plan to separate himself from his family business empire, of which the new D.C. hotel has become a pillar."
The development follows a vow from the U.S. press corps that Trump will "face a united front" if he continues his hostility towards the press.
In an open letter published Tuesday at the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), the publication's editor-in-chief and publisher, Kyle Pope, also warns Trump that "off the record and other ground rules are ours--not yours--to set" and that "we decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.