The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) has criticized CNN for restricting press pool access to the upcoming presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump. Biden's campaign, meanwhile, reportedly plans to use "one-liners" to provoke Trump during the debate.
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) has condemned CNN for limiting in-person press coverage of the upcoming presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump. In a statement released on Thursday, WHCA president Kelly O'Donnell expressed deep concern over the network's decision to deny access to the White House travel pool.
According to O'Donnell, a print pool reporter should be granted access to the debate studio for the entire duration of the event. This measure is crucial to ensure comprehensive coverage and documentation of the candidates' interactions, both on and off camera.
CNN Presidential Debate: WHCA Protests Limited Press Access, Biden Aims to "Trigger" Trump
"Through conversations and advocacy, we urged CNN to grant access to at least one print pool reporter for the duration of the debate," O'Donnell wrote. "A pool reporter is there to observe what is said and done when microphones are off or when either candidate is not seen on camera but may speak, gesture, move, or engage in some way."
The WHCA has also protested CNN's decision to allow access to the debate room only during commercial breaks. O'Donnell argued that this is insufficient and compromises the principle of presidential coverage by the White House pool.
CNN Presidential Debate: WHCA Protests Limited Press Access, Biden Aims to "Trigger" Trump
"That is not sufficient in our view and diminishes a core principle of presidential coverage. The White House pool has a duty to document, report and witness the president's events and his movements on behalf of the American people," O'Donnell emphasized.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Biden campaign have revealed that the former vice president plans to use "one-liners" during the debate to provoke Trump and force him to react emotionally. According to Fox News contributor Joe Concha, the Biden campaign believes that Trump is particularly susceptible to being "triggered" by verbal jabs and insults.
CNN Presidential Debate: WHCA Protests Limited Press Access, Biden Aims to "Trigger" Trump
"The Biden campaign is going after a temperament narrative as opposed to focusing on a policy debate," Concha said. "They believe that Trump is at his weakest when he's being attacked personally."
Tonight's debate will be held without an audience and will feature strict format rules, including the ability to mute candidates' microphones. The extent of the impact of these rules remains uncertain.
"We don’t know how this will play out in real time," O'Donnell noted. "Tonight’s debate will have no audience present and includes format rules that can silence candidates’ microphones."
The WHCA has emphasized the importance of allowing print reporters to witness the debate in person, citing the precedent set by previous debates.
"During the commission era, a pool was inside the venue and able to document the scene, including news that happened that was not on camera. As you know, there is more to the debate than what will be seen on television," a group of journalists from The New York Times, Bloomberg News, The Washington Post, and The Associated Press wrote in a letter to CNN.
The WHCA has respectfully requested that CNN reconsider its decision and welcome a White House travel pool representative to witness the debate in full.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, CNN expressed respect for the White House Correspondents Association but reiterated its decision to limit press access.
"As proud members of the White House Correspondents Association, we respect the role the organization plays and their support for press freedom and access. CNN's Presidential Debate is being held without an audience in a CNN studio and is closed to press," a CNN spokesperson said.
CNN explained that it is providing access to the debate studio for a limited pool of photographers and allowing a designated print pool reporter to enter the debate hall during the first commercial break.
"Each article should have at least 10 paragraphs."
