Gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended President Donald Trump’s recent banning of CNN, MS NOW, Politico, The New York Times, and The Washington Post from the White House. Trump revoked the White House credentials and blocked access to the outlets last Friday for allegedly writing “fake” (unflattering and critical) news articles about his administration.
On Monday, CNBC anchorman Joe Kernen asked Bessent his thoughts on the ban and how it might play out in the future. Bessent replied, “I’ve been traveling. I don’t know much about it.”
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When Kernen followed up, Bessent said, “The press cares more about the press than anything else. Same thing with the aircraft in Ankara. The presidential pool said, ‘Oh, we were so vulnerable!’ They were there to kill the president and the Secret Service made a decision.”
Bessent’s bizarre response referred to a July 8 incident in which US intelligence flagged a credible Iranian shoulder-fired missile threat near the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. To avoid a possible assassination, Trump boarded Air Force One publicly, but then covertly moved through a catering truck into a smaller, unmarked military aircraft. Air Force One departed with journalists and cabinet members aboard while the window shades were ordered down, leaving everyone unaware that the president was not on the plane.
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Bessent continued, “The press is less popular than the U.S. Congress. The American people deserve good reporting. I couldn’t agree more. But you know, we’ll see where—“
However, Kernen replied, “I will grant you that I think maybe Republican presidents historically have had maybe a tougher time with mainstream media, but you’ve got Fox News that has been all over Democratic presidents. I just don’t think this is something that will last in this country. We don’t do this in this country.”
Bessent replied, “President Trump has been the most transparent president in history.”
Bessent on Trump’s ban on the free press: “I’ve been traveling. I don’t know much about it.”
(Note that the administration has even lost Joe Kernen on this … )
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) September 21, 2026 at 8:27 AM
Bessent: “The press cares more about the press than anything else … Same thing with the aircraft in Ankara. The presidential pool said, ‘Oh, we were so vulnerable!’ They were there to kill the president, and the Secret Service made a decision.”
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) September 21, 2026 at 8:30 AM
The website for the government watchdog organization American Oversight wrote, that despite the administration’s repeated claims about being the “most transparent” one of all time, “The president and his allies seem to have no issue abusing government power to erode the public’s right to know and avoid accountability for their actions.”
To protest Trump’s press ban, five major networks — CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox News — have begun boycotting designated press pool events.
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