President Donald Trump took another pointed swipe at the American media Thursday, joking that the Chinese press corps was the “friendliest” while Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the White House.
The remark came at a striking moment.
Trump’s administration was already involved in a major legal battle with CNN, MS NOW and Politico over the news organizations’ access to the White House. Hours before Trump’s comment, reporters from the three outlets had been fighting to regain their credentials following a federal court order.
The timing quickly turned what might otherwise have been a brief presidential joke into another headline in Trump’s long-running confrontation with the national press.
Trump Praises Chinese Press Corps During Xi Visit
Trump made the remark during a short White House photo opportunity with Xi and a group of still photographers.
According to a White House press pool report, Trump joked that the Chinese had the “friendliest” press corps.
The comment immediately attracted attention because it came during an unusually tense dispute between the White House and several major American news organizations.
CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein discussed the exchange shortly after her network’s access had been restored.
The episode highlighted the sharp contrast between Trump’s lighthearted remark about the visiting Chinese journalists and his repeated criticism of major U.S. media companies.
CNN, Politico and MS NOW Challenged White House Ban
The controversy began after Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer be allowed access to the White House.
Trump accused the outlets of publishing what he called “fake news” and “fiction and lies.”
The three news organizations responded by filing a federal lawsuit, arguing that the administration had improperly punished them because of their reporting.
The case quickly developed into a major dispute involving freedom of the press, presidential authority and constitutional due-process protections.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order directing the White House to restore the organizations’ access.
Kelly concluded that the outlets were likely to succeed on their argument that their credentials had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process.
The ruling is temporary and does not settle the underlying lawsuit.
Reporters Initially Remained Outside White House
The dispute did not end immediately after the judge issued his order.
Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico said they were still unable to enter the White House Thursday morning despite the court ruling.
The organizations then sought additional court intervention.
Later in the day, the White House confirmed that journalists from all three outlets had been allowed back onto the grounds.
Questions remained, however, about exactly when access had been restored.
The administration said the credentials had been reactivated earlier in the morning, while journalists reported that they were still being prevented from entering for several hours afterward.
That disagreement added yet another chapter to the escalating fight between Trump and some of the nation’s largest news organizations.
Other Networks Joined the Press Dispute
The controversy expanded beyond the three outlets directly affected by the White House decision.
Major television networks including Fox News, ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC expressed opposition to excluding individual news organizations from the presidential press pool.
Some organizations also limited their participation in White House coverage as the dispute unfolded.
The coordinated response placed additional pressure on the administration while the court battle continued.
White House Defends Trump’s Actions
Trump and his administration have defended the decision to restrict the outlets.
The president has repeatedly argued that certain major media companies publish inaccurate or unfair coverage of his administration.
White House officials have also rejected comparisons between the dispute over American press access and restrictions on journalists in China.
Supporters of Trump’s position have focused on concerns about media accuracy and fairness.
The news organizations challenging the administration, meanwhile, argue that a president cannot revoke access because officials dislike an outlet’s reporting.
Those competing arguments are now part of an ongoing federal court battle.
Trump’s Long History of Clashing With the Media
Trump’s confrontations with the national press have been a defining feature of his political career.
He has regularly criticized CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post and other major organizations while accusing them of unfair coverage.
News organizations and press-freedom groups have argued that government officials must avoid using official access as punishment for unfavorable reporting.
The latest lawsuit could further clarify the legal limits surrounding White House press credentials and the government’s ability to restrict access.
For now, CNN, MS NOW and Politico are back inside the White House under the temporary court order. The broader lawsuit remains unresolved.
And amid all of that controversy, Trump managed to create another attention-grabbing moment during Xi Jinping’s visit by joking that China’s journalists were the “friendliest” press corps.
The comment was brief.
But given the battle unfolding around him, its timing ensured that it would receive plenty of attention.