Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the White House's controversial decision to revoke press credentials for several mainstream news outlets, asserting that such access is a "privilege ... not a right." Blanche made these remarks Sunday in an interview with "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz, stating that President Donald Trump was "sick and tired of certain media outlets just refusing to report accurate news."
His comments come as litigation continues over the ban, which initially affected CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order that required the White House to restore the credentials of journalists from these outlets. The judge noted that the outlets cleared a "high bar" to receive the order and expressed skepticism about national security being the primary driver for the ban, pointing to President Trump's own statements that he was "sick of" the "cumulative stories" over the past two years.
While journalists were permitted back onto the White House grounds and primary television pool coverage resumed, questions about access persisted. On Saturday, CNN reported being denied access to cover the president's trip to a football game in Tennessee, a situation Blanche downplayed. "The White House routinely decides who can go on Air Force One," Blanche stated, adding that it is "common every time the president travels that he and his team decide which reporters get to travel with the president."
Blanche reiterated the administration's stance that the banned outlets "refuse to report anything accurately," which he argued presents a "national security problem" by potentially misinforming the public and impacting foreign relations.
Artificial Intelligence and National Security
Beyond the press access debate, Blanche also echoed President Trump's views on artificial intelligence, calling it "vital to our national security interests and to the success of this country." The president has emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership in AI, particularly in competition with China.
"Whoever wins AI, WINS! We are leading now over China, and everyone else, and I’m going to keep it that way!" Trump posted on social media, cautioning against stifling growth in the sector.
Despite calls from some AI industry leaders for a slowdown amid concerns about autonomous AI agents and their unpredictable behaviors, Blanche argued against overly restrictive regulation. He cited incidents, such as an OpenAI agent interacting with U.S. government websites and an Australian public health site, as examples of ongoing developments. However, he maintained that companies have the ability to "adjust the technology" as needed and that new regulations could hinder U.S. competitiveness.
Blanche stated that the Department of Justice is prepared to address any crimes committed within the AI space using existing laws. "When there are crimes committed, we have a lot of tools already, and the federal Title 18 gives us a lot of a lot of ways to go after criminals and bad actors in the AI space and other spaces," he said, indicating that the administration would "watch it closely."