White House Press Office Reverts to Kindergarten

"Focus now. You ask her if we ever used the word 'ban' "Fox News

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I know you all want to be up-to-date on the latest juvenile behavior from the White House, so here you go. In the first video, Kaitlan Collins, a pool reporter from CNN, does the usual pool reporter thing:

The White House press staff was outraged by this totally normal behavior and issued a statement: “Our staff informed her she was not welcome to participate in the next event.” That seems clear enough, no? Well, no:

I’m especially amused by Shine’s condescending instruction to reporters to “focus now,” while refusing to answer any questions until they first ask Collins if Shine ever used the word “ban.” Apparently now we’re going to play some kind of White House version of Password:

“Um, forbid”

“Prohibit”

“No, like in boycott”

“Embargo.”

“No, no, um, blackball.”

“Ban.”

“Close, close, but not quite as definitive.

“Not welcome?”

“Bingo!”

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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