Don't ask Trump TWO things! White House reporters will only be allowed to ask the president one question each to avoid 'future Acosta eruptions' – and he'll seize their press credentials if they ask a second without permission

  • Trump's spokeswoman says journalists will be subject to expulsion if they don't 'yield the floor' after asking one question during a presidential press conference
  • New rules allow the president to accept follow-up questions but don't guarantee that he will
  • White House Correspondents Association president suggests he expects reporters to ask follow-ups regardless of whether it's allowed
  • Reporters will be required to cede the White House's microphone to staffers
  • Pronouncement comes after CNN's Jim Acosta was banned from the White House for nine days for an argumentative exhange with Trump on Nov. 7
  • He refused to hand over the microphone and offered 'complaints' instead of questions, according to a West Wing official
  • Fear of 'future Acosta eruptions,' the official said, were enough to make the Trump administration act

By David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:20 EST, 19 November 2018 | Updated: 19:47 EST, 19 November 2018

The White House on Monday formalized what it said was a longstanding unwritten rule in the presidential press corps, limiting reporters to one question apiece during future press conferences.

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced the change on an afternoon when the West Wing reinstated the 'hard pass' Donald Trump's senior aides took from CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, following his contentious performance sparring with the the president during a Nov. 7 presser. 

A federal judge slapped back on Friday, ruling that Acosta must be allowed back on the White House grounds while a CNN lawsuit played out, saying the administration had acted arbitrarily – without a clear set of rules to impose or a process to enforce them.

Trump said on Friday afternoon that a series of 'rules and regulations' would be finalized, but didn't provide a timetable. That materialized Monday afternoon in a letter to Acosta, which several media outlets quickly acquired.

The Trump White House announced Monday that a set of formalized rules will govern future press conferences, including a limit on the number of questions per reporter

The Trump White House announced Monday that a set of formalized rules will govern future press conferences, including a limit on the number of questions per reporter

A White House official said writing down what had been unwritten and only loosely followed rules was the result of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's performance during a Nov. 7 presser; he returned to the White House on Friday after a judge ordered the White House to end a nine-day ban for haranguing Trump and refusing to give up the microphone when his turn was up

A White House official said writing down what had been unwritten and only loosely followed rules was the result of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's performance during a Nov. 7 presser; he returned to the White House on Friday after a judge ordered the White House to end a nine-day ban for haranguing Trump and refusing to give up the microphone when his turn was up

White House journalists will no longer be allowed to engage in a back-and-forth with Trump, and follow-up questions will be only at his discretion

White House journalists will no longer be allowed to engage in a back-and-forth with Trump, and follow-up questions will be only at his discretion

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced the new rules 'reluctantly' on Monday, blaming Acosta and CNN ¿ and laying out a set of standards that can be enforced in the future

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced the new rules 'reluctantly' on Monday, blaming Acosta and CNN – and laying out a set of standards that can be enforced in the future

Trump has long battled with CNN and Acosta, calling them purveyors of 'fake news'

Trump has long battled with CNN and Acosta, calling them purveyors of 'fake news'

After telling CNN and its star reporter at 1600 pennsylvania Avenue that he was no longer in immediate danger of being banned from the premises, Sanders wrote that four rules would be in force at future press conferences. 

They could provide the White House with a rationale to clamp down against what a West Wing official told DailyMail.com could be 'future Acosta eruptions.' 

'A journalist called upon to ask a question will ask a single question and then will yield the floor to other journalists,' the first rule reads.

'At the discretion of the President or other White House official taking questions, a follow-up question or questions may be permitted,' says the second, 'and where a follow up has been allowed and asked, the questioner will then yield the floor.'

Clarifying the White House's terms, Sanders added: '"Yielding the floor" includes, when applicable, physically surrendering the microphone to White House staff for use by the next questioner.'

She said that breaking 'any of [these] rules' will subject journalists to possible 'suspension or revocation' of their hard passes, the Secret Service-approved credentials that allow them to enter the White House campus at will.

During the Nov. 7 press conference, Acosta took three bites at theTrumpian apple.  Another reporter took four.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Bill Shine

Sanders and White House communications director Bill Shine (right) have masterminded the White House's response to the Acosta fiasco, ultimately communicating Trump's desire to put it behind them and move on to the Thanksgiving holiday

The West Wing source conceded that it was Acosta's tone, not the number of questions he posed, that irked the president to the point where he brought the hammer down.

'He didn't ask questions at all,' the official said Monday. 'He talked about challenging the president, and then argued with him about whether thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the border would constitute an invasion.'

'Those aren't questions. They're complaints,' the aide said.

Acosta has been uncharacteristically reserved about Friday's and Monday's turns of events, urging his colleagues to 'get back to work.' Other CNN personalities were more gloating, including the network's chief media correspondent, Brian Stelter.

Olivier Knox, president of the White House Correspondents Association, issued a statement suggesting he doesn't expect reporters who have the chance to ask the President of the United States a question will sit down after just one.

'For as long as there have been White House press conferences, White House reporters have asked follow-up questions. We fully expect this tradition will continue,' he said. 

In one press conference this year, an ABC News reporter consumed four minutes conducting what appeared to be a private one-on-one with President Trump, asking one follow-up after another.

It's also common during joint press conferences with foreign leaders for journalists to posed two questions at once to Trump, and then at least one to the guest. 

The president's Nov. 7 press conference quickly turned acrimonious when Acosta took the floor

The president's Nov. 7 press conference quickly turned acrimonious when Acosta took the floor

Acosta said he wanted to 'challenge' Trump and then argued with him about whether the caravan of thousands of migrants would constitute an 'invasion' if they all crossed the border

Acosta said he wanted to 'challenge' Trump and then argued with him about whether the caravan of thousands of migrants would constitute an 'invasion' if they all crossed the border

The CNN reporter also refused to hand over the White House's microphone to an intern whose job was to pass it to the next reporter

The CNN reporter also refused to hand over the White House's microphone to an intern whose job was to pass it to the next reporter

It's unclear when the new rules will first be tested. But Sanders insisted Monday that whatever fallout ensues will lay at Acosta's feet – and those of his bureau chief, Sam Feist, who pressed the lawsuit without compromise.

'[G]iven the position taken by CNN, we now feel obligated to replace previously shared practices with explicit rules,' she said.

'For years, members of the White House press corps have attended countless press events with the President and other officials without engaging in the behavior Mr. Acosta displayed at the November 7, 2018 press conference,' Sanders added. 

'We would have greatly preferred to continue hosting White House press conferences in reliance on a set of understood professional norms, and we believe the overwhelming majority of journalists covering the White House share that preference.'

THE ACOSTA FILE: WHAT HE SAID DURING THE NOV. 7 PRESSER 

What follows is the White House's official transcript of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's question and answer with President Donald Trump during the Nov. 7, 2018 presidential press conference.

Q Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to challenge you on one of the statements that you made in the tail end of the campaign in the midterms, that this --

THE PRESIDENT: Here we go.

Q Well, if you don't mind, Mr. President --

THE PRESIDENT: Let's go. Let's go. Come on.

Q That this caravan was an "invasion." As you know, Mr. President --

THE PRESIDENT: I consider it to be an invasion.

Q As you know, Mr. President, the caravan was not an invasion. It's a group of migrants moving up from Central America towards the border with the U.S.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you for telling me that. I appreciate it.

Q Why did you characterize it as such? And --

THE PRESIDENT: Because I consider it an invasion. You and I have a difference of opinion.

Q But do you think that you demonized immigrants in this election --

THE PRESIDENT: Not at all. No, not at all.

Q -- to try to keep --

THE PRESIDENT: I want them -- I want them to come into the country, but they have to come in legally. You know, they have to come in, Jim, through a process. I want it to be a process.

And I want people to come in. And we need the people.

Q Right. But your campaign had -- your campaign --

THE PRESIDENT: Wait. Wait. Wait. You know why we need the people, don't you? Because we have hundreds of companies moving in. We need the people.

Q Right. But your campaign had an ad showing migrants climbing over walls and so on.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's true. They weren't actors. They weren't actors.

Q They're not going to be doing that.

THE PRESIDENT: They weren't actors. Well, no, it was true. Do you think they were actors? They weren't actors. They didn't come from Hollywood. These were -- these were people -- this was an actual -- you know, it happened a few days ago. And --

Q They're hundreds of miles of way though. They're hundreds and hundreds of miles away.

THE PRESIDENT: You know what?

Q That's not an invasion.

THE PRESIDENT: I think you should -- honestly, I think you should let me run the country, you run CNN --

Q All right.

THE PRESIDENT: -- and if you did it well, your ratings would be much better.

Q But let me ask, if I -- if I may ask one other question --

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, that's enough.

Q Mr. President, if I may -- if I may ask one other question.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, Peter, go ahead.

Q Are you worried --

THE PRESIDENT: That's enough. That's enough. That's enough.

Q Mr. President, I didn't -- well, I was going to ask one other. The other folks that had --

THE PRESIDENT: That's enough. That's enough.

Q Pardon me, ma'am, I'm -- Mr. President --

THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me, that's enough.

Q Mr. President, I had one other question if --

THE PRESIDENT: Peter. Let's go.

Q -- I may ask on the Russia investigation. Are you concerned that you may have indictments --

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not concerned about anything with the Russia investigation because it's a hoax.

Q -- that you may indictments coming down? Are you --

THE PRESIDENT: That's enough. Put down the mic.

Q Mr. President, are you worried about indictments coming down in this investigation?

Q Mr. President --

THE PRESIDENT: I'll tell you what: CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn't be working for CNN.

Go ahead.

Q I think that's unfair.

THE PRESIDENT: You're a very rude person. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible. And the way you treat other people are horrible. You shouldn't treat people that way.

Advertisement

NEW RULES: White House reporters will only be allowed to ask the president one question each

Most watched News videos

Comments 252

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

What's This?

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.