The White House press office on Wednesday warned journalist Simon Ateba that he is in danger of losing his press pass due to his frequent interruptions at White House press briefings, The Hill reported.
Ateba, a reporter for Today News Africa, posted the text and screenshots of the letter on his Twitter account. The two-page document is unsigned, but lays out numerous instances of when Ateba impeded press briefings by shouting over colleagues or preventing press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre from answering questions.
“The White House recognizes that members of the press often raise their voices or shout questions at press briefings or events,” the letter states. “Ordinarily such shouting stops when a reporter is called on for a question, and the briefing or event is able to continue. Continued interruptions are different; they prevent journalists from asking questions or administration officials and guests from responding. The Press Secretary’s only option in response to such disruptions is to stop the briefing or event, which is to the detriment of all journalists.”
The letter cites guidance issued on May 5 which outlined expectations for behavior while on the grounds, which includes respect for others in the building and not impeding events on campus.
“If you continue to impede briefings or events by shouting over your colleagues who have been called on for a question, even after you have been asked to stop by a White House employee, then your hard pass may be suspended or revoked, following notice and an opportunity to respond,” the letter states, giving Ateba seven days to file a response.
The document cites several instances when Ateba interrupted press briefings by demanding to be called on, accusing Jean-Pierre of discriminating against him or otherwise complaining about proceedings in the briefing room.
Specifically, the document points to a June 26 briefing when Ateba accused Jean-Pierre of discriminating against him for months.
“You’re being incredibly rude,” Jean-Pierre said, while Ateba claimed she was “not giving me freedom of the press.”
The letter also cites incidents involving Ateba from May 13, March 20, and Dec. 8, 2022.
Another incident, in August of 2022, saw John Kirby, Director of Strategic Communications for the National Security Council, scolding Ateba after taking exception to the manner in which he asked him a question.
The Trump White House in 2018 revoked the press credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta following his fiery exchange with Trump during a press conference.
CNN, in turn, filed a lawsuit against the White House, arguing that the revocation of Acosta’s press pass violates their First and Fifth Amendment rights. The press pass was later reinstated.
In 2019, the Trump White House revoked the hard pass of reporter Brian Karem after an altercation he had in the Rose Garden with guests for an event. A judge ultimately restored Karem’s access, ruling that the White House did not provide clear guidance about what would warrant the revocation.