American journalist ‘from liberal magazine’ is dragged from Trump-Putin press conference

A man calling himself a journalist was forcibly removed from President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press conference before it began.

He described himself as a reporter for The Nation, according to reporters in Helsinki who were in the room. The Nation is a liberal-leaning leftist magazine based in the United States.

Sam Husseini claimed to be with The Nation magazine; he is the communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy

He tussled with a security agent who tried to take his 'Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty' sign 

He tussled with a security agent who tried to take his ‘Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty’ sign 

Husseini was said to be mocking reporters in the room 

Husseini was said to be mocking reporters in the room 

Husseini held a sign that said 'Nuclear Test Ban Treay'

Husseini held a sign that said ‘Nuclear Test Ban Treay’

But he was identified as Sam Husseini – the communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit group that promotes progressive experts as sources for journalists.

Several security agents surrounded Husseini and drug him out of the room before Trump and Putin came inside.

The Nation magazine confirmed he was credentialed through their outlet to cover the meeting between Trump and Putin.

‘Sam Husseini, communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, received press accreditation from The Nation to cover the summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki,’ said The Nation Vice President of Communications Caitlin Graf in a statement to the DailyMail.com.

‘At a time when this administration consistently denigrates the media, we’re troubled by reports that he was forcibly removed from the press conference before the two leaders began to take questions. This is a developing situation that we will be following closely,’ she said. 

Los Angeles Times’ White House correspondent Eli Stokols, who was in the room in Helsinki, twitted Husseini was circulating a signed statement at the press filing center earlier in day and was escorted out of the press conference at one point but came back into the room.

Upon his return, Husseini held a sign that read: ‘Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.’

He was waving it at the press corps when a security agent tried to take it from him. The two men struggled and tussled over the sign as Husseini refused to give up. 

Other agents came to assist and four of them removed Husseini from the room. 

CBS reporter Susan Ormiston, who was also in the room, tweeted Husseini ‘had been heckling reported going live saying they weren’t reporting anything.’  

Sam Husseini is the communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and calls himself an independent reporter

Sam Husseini is the communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and calls himself an independent reporter

Husseini was removed before Trump and Putin came in the room

Husseini was removed before Trump and Putin came in the room

Husseini founded the webpage WashingtonStakeout.com, which features him pointedly questioning political figures as they leave the Sunday morning talkshows.

He calls himself a Washington D.C.-based independent journalist.

He has been tweeting from Helsinki and wrote in one tweet: ‘The issue isn’t Trump. The issue isn’t Putin. The issue is the issues: Nuclear threats, Syria, etc.’ 

His online resume notes that he ‘regularly attended new conferences at the National Press Club and other venues in D.C., questioning numerous officials including NATO spokesperson Jamie Shea, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, journalists Dan Rather and Judith Miller and former head of Saudi intelligence Amb. Turki bin Faisal al-Saud. The questioning of the former lead to a suspension by the executive director of the National Press Club, which was overturned by the Ethics Committee.’ 

In 2011, he was suspended by the National Press Club’s executive director after he asked the Turki a point question about the legitimacy of the Saudi regime at an event at the Club. The ethics committee of the Club overturned the suspension.



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk