Despite a ban on credentialing Bloomberg News for public events, Donald Trump’s re-election campaign welcomed one of the news outlet’s reporters to a barnburner rally on Tuesday night.
The journalist arrived on Air Force One. Like their counterparts with the Associated Press and Reuters wire services, Bloomberg News reporters enjoy a permanent seat on the presidential aircraft.
The White House had stayed mum about how it would reconcile that with the campaign’s December 2 prohibition on credentialing the news outlet.
But without a word from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a Bloomberg reporter rode to the rally and walked into the Giant Arena with the rest of the press pool.
The Trump campaign punted questions to the White House on Wednesday.
‘We did not credential any Bloomberg reporters for the rally and they won’t be credentialed for any campaign rallies or events,’ campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told DailyMail.com.
‘The campaign, however, does not control the White House pool. You’ll have to direct your questions about that to the White House,’ he said.
Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg’s news outlet has been officially banned from receiving press credentials to attend Donald Trump campaign events, but a Bloomberg News journalist was whisked into Tuesday night’s Trump rally in Pennsylvania by U.S. Secret Service after flying there on Air Force One
It’s unclear whether the White House and the campaign will make a targeted effort to address the apparent loophole; the Trump campaign’s communication chief says he doesn’t control what the White House does
Bloomberg News is one of only three outlets, along with the Associated Press and Reuters, that has a guaranteed spot on every Air Force One trip; the other outlets rotate in turns to occupy each of the other precious seats
A different campaign official said on background that the situation is ‘awkward’ but ‘manageable as long as no one rocks the boat.’
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told DailyMail.com that he doesn’t control the White House, suggesting the campaign is satisfied with the loophole that allows banned Bloomberg reporters to come into campaign rallies on Air Force One
Through a spokesperson, Bloomberg News declined to comment on Wednesday.
The White House had no immediate response to a request for comment, nor did Bloomberg News Washington bureau chief Craig Gordon.
Billionaire former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg formally entered the Democratic presidential race on November 24.
Within hours his eponymous news organization said it would continue its policy of not investigating the boss, and expand it to the entire Democratic 2020 field—but not to the president.
The White House was infuriated but took no steps to change the access Bloomberg News enjoys in the building.
Bloomberg reporters have been grumping behind the scenes about being forbidden to chase investigative stories about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and other rivals of their boss.
The Trump campaign said last month that it would refused to credential Bloomberg reporters, but never said it wouldn’t let them into campaign events if the White House brought them
Bloomberg journalists have been told not to investigate Mike Bloomberg or any other Democrat—only Donald Trump; he says such ‘restrictions’ are part of the deal when he pays a reporter’s salary
One Bloomberg political reporter responded to a text-message question about the new conditions of employment last week with a poop emoji and the words ‘Um…No.’
But Mike Bloomberg has refused to buckle change the rules of engagement. They will ‘just have to learn to live with some things,’ he told CBS News in an interview last week.
‘They get a paycheck,’ he lectured, ‘but with your paycheck comes some restrictions and responsibilities.’
Asked Friday to respond to Mr. Bloomberg’s comment about coverage ‘restrictions’ that come with his company’s paychecks, one Bloomberg political reporter texted a poop emoji and the words ‘Um…No.’
The reporter gave permission for DailyMail.com to publish the unusual message.
‘None of us likes this,’ another Bloomberg reporter said. ‘This is the opposite of what the profession fights for.’
Brad Parscale, campaign manager for U.S. President Donald Trump, announced that the campaign won’t credential any Bloomberg reporters unless the news outlet reverses itself
Both commented on condition of anonymity and said they would be open to competing job offers as the quadrennial Super Bowl of political journalism approaches.
One Bloomberg reporter told CNN that Mike Bloomberg’s campaign handcuffs are ‘everybody’s nightmare come true.’
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale blasted out its displeasure while the president was en route to Britain for last week’s NATO summit. ‘The decision by Bloomberg News to formalize preferential reporting policies is troubling and wrong,’ Parscale said.
‘Bloomberg News has declared that they won’t investigate their boss or his Democrat competitors, many of whom are current holders of high office, but will continue critical reporting on President Trump,’ he said.
‘As President Trump’s campaign, we are accustomed to unfair reporting practices, but most news organizations don’t announce their biases so publicly.’
Mike Bloomberg is polling at less than 6 per cent on average among Democratic voters.
Nationally, a Monmouth University poll released this week found that while 26 per cent of registered voters view him favorable, more than twice as many — 54 per cent — see have an unfavorable view of him.
The split between those two favorability numbers is wider than Donald Trump’s or Hillary Clinton’s.