The White House Correspondents’ Association is making an effort, to no avail, to remove the One America News Network from the daily White House coronavirus news briefings.

Here is the statement of the mainstream media group: “As you are all aware, the WHCA issued a policy last month to restrict seating in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to comply with CDC guidelines on social distancing. Under this policy, we have asked reporters who don’t have a seat not to attend press briefings. We are writing to inform you that the WHCA Board has voted this evening to remove a news outlet from the rotation for a seat in the briefing room. We did this because a report for this outlet twice attended press briefings in contravention of this policy… We do not take this action lightly. This is a matter of public safety.”

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They are lying.

They are trying to remove OANN because its reporters like Chanel Rion have asked the president friendly questions that put the rest of the press in a bad light.

Major press outlets like CNN and ABC are making a pathetic effort to intimidate the conservative press into silence. They want all the press to fall in line with their anti-Trump message and line of questioning. The move showcases their actual commitment to freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and diversity of thought.

However, the Trump team was way ahead of them on this. Rion and OANN are at the daily coronavirus briefings as the special guest of Trump Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. So the WHCA can pound sand.

As President Trump gains popularity and the press loses it —though how far lower you can go from zero will be interesting to see— the media will try more stunts like this.

Expect the president to bring the matter up, perhaps even today. And expect to see OANN at the briefings. Given the newfound exposure they have with this inadvertent advertising campaign for them by the major media, why shouldn’t they be?