Summary
The White House war on the press took a new turn with the banning of a CNN reporter, marking a tense new phase in the long-running battle between President Donald Trump and his chief media antagonist.
The ban on CNN's Jim Acosta came after a heated exchange at a White House news conference Wednesday where Trump called the TV reporter a "rude, terrible person" and an "enemy of the people".
The White House sought to brush aside suggestions it is stifling a free press.
The incident is the latest in a series of clashes between the president and mainstream media outlets, following a spate of comments from Trump calling unfavorable coverage "fake news" and threatening to revoke credentials at some organizations.
Trump has skipped the traditional presidential appearance at the White House Correspondents Association dinner the past two years, and media organizations have been hard-pressed to respond to the attacks.
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