Trump inaugurates new White House helipad as networks skip coverage – spectrumlocalnews.com

Trump inaugurates new White House helipad as networks skip coverage  spectrumlocalnews.com

Trump used oversized gold scissors Monday to cut a red, white and blue ribbon at the helipad. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump showed off his new White House helicopter landing pad on Monday, attempting to brush aside a First Amendment firestorm even as major television networks kept their cameras away because CNN wasn't allowed to cover the event. Trump used oversized gold scissors to cut a red, white and blue ribbon. He then exchanged handshakes with officials wearing green construction smocks and hardhats — seeking to portray business as usual. The noise of his waiting helicopter meant Trump didn't answer shouted questions before climbing aboard Marine One for a flight to New York.

MS NOW, Politico and CNN have sued after Trump announced Friday that he was banning them from covering the White House in a clear escalation of Trump's long-running efforts — in the courts and through administrative action — to restrict news coverage he finds objectionable. CNN normally participates in a five-network rotation that provides pooled coverage of daily events at the White House. When it was barred from taking its customary spot on Monday, ABC, CBS, CNN and Fox News agreed collectively to the extraordinary step of skipping Trump's helipad ceremony. Trump has long crowed about how the new helipad — featuring extensive granite that the president