Xi calls for new chapter in China-US ties at White House dinner

Symone Sanders-Townsend, the chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, has long dealt with White House reporters as part of her job. Recently, she faced a new challenge when President Donald Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House due to allegations of reporting "fiction and lies." MS NOW host Symone Sanders-Townsend told Fortune that she was not surprised by the ban, but it was still shocking that she could refuse to allow specific reporters access to the White House.

The ban led to a lawsuit from the banned outlets, and U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ultimately ordered their access restored for 14 days, finding the ban likely unconstitutional. However, MS NOW's Laura Barrón-López and two CNN journalists were turned away from the arrival ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping's state dinner just hours after the judge's order.

Sanders-Townsend emphasized that while there are differences between constitutional rights on paper and in practice, the current administration treats retribution as a feature rather than a bug. She warned that the ban could backfire during the midterms, as many voters rely on news outlets for information rather than county election websites. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Additionally, the ban affected other news organizations, such as ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC, which refused to fill in for CNN. Nearly 50 news organizations signed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the ban to be lifted. The New York Times and the Washington Post also decided to hold off on running pool photos.

Despite the controversy, some rival outlets, like Fox News, sided with CNN in a previous incident where CNN's Kaitlan Collins was barred from an event at the White House. Sanders-Townsend praised these organizations for standing up for their rights. In a joint press conference with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Trump claimed that the relationship between the media and the administration is a two-way street.

However, Sanders-Townsend emphasized that the stakes change when high-profile streamers, like Hasan Piker, appear alongside candidates at White House events.