SPAT WITH CNN REPORTER

Prez calls CNN’s correspondent ‘ rude, terrible person’ for refusing to yield mic at conference

Report on Page 8 journalist for his ‘ disgusting and outrageous’ behaviour, hours after his testy exchange with the President. The White House said that the reporter was barred for “placing his hands” on the intern. President Donald Trump watches as a White House intern takes away a mike from CNN journalist Jim Acosta at a press conference in the White House on Wednesday. In an unprecedented move, the White House suspended the credentials of the CNN

Sarah Sanders hours later, referring to Mr Acosta, who then tweeted that he had been denied White House entry.

The heated exchange began after Mr Acosta clung to the microphone and persisted with questions about the President’s repeated and angry denunciation of a caravan of poor Central American migrants making their way through Mexico to the US border.

He asked Mr Trump why he has characterised it as an invasion.

Mr Trump said “that’s enough!” and a White House intern tried in vain to take the microphone from the CNN journalist.

“President Trump

◗ The CNN reporter shot back at the accusation of misconduct, tweeting ‘ this is a lie’, as his network and a number of Washington journalists who had been at the press conference voiced support for him

believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration,” Ms Sanders said in her statement.

“We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable,” she said.

Mr Acosta shot back at the accusation of misconduct, tweeting “this is a lie” — as his network and a number of Washington journalists who had been at the press conference voiced support for him and denied the White House allegations that he touched the intern.

“Secretary Sanders lied,” CNN said in a statement, saying the press pass suspension was “done in retaliation for challenging questions. Ms Sanders “provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened,” the US cable network said.

“This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.”

An association representing the Washington press corps urged the White House to immediately reverse “this weak and misguided action.”

” The White House Correspondents’ Association strongly objects to the Trump administration’s decision to use United States Secret Service security credentials as a tool to punish a reporter with whom it has a difficult relationship,” the group said.