There appear to be some cracks in President Donald Trump’s press ban already.

CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter reported on Monday that First Lady Melania Trump’s office has approved a credential for CNN senior reporter Betsy Klein to cover an event at the United Nations, just days after the president hit the outlet — as well as MS NOW and Politico — with his ban.

“We’re going to see reporters get creative. That’s what we do sometimes when we have to. We’re going to see reporters try and get credentialed in other ways. I’m told, for example, a CNN reporter has already been approved by the office of the First Lady to cover an event with Melania Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. tomorrow,” Stelter reported.

He continued, “I’m expecting more of those sorts of things to happen. There will still be coverage of what the president and first lady are doing, but it’s not going to be through the official pool, because Trump has instituted this ban.”

Stelter’s report coincided with the White House expanding the press ban and yanking CNN off its scheduled TV pool assignment on Monday. Trump defended the ban in a morning post on Truth Social, saying the free press is “something which I cherish” — but he viewed the outlets as nothing more than “FAKE NEWS” peddlers.

“It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Soon after, the three outlets banded together and sued the White House over the ban. The filing claimed the ban “brazenly discriminates based on editorial viewpoint” and has already caused “irreparable harm” to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.

Stelter pointed out Trump’s social media post during his appearance on The Situation Room, saying it likely came after the president was told he’s “probably going to lose in court.” He said Trump played one of his usual hits, which was trying to “wrap himself under this claim about national security,” which he said Trump has used in the past to argue in favor of his White House Ballroom. 

Watch above.

The post JUST IN: CNN Reports Melania Trump’s Office Has Credentialed One of Its Reporters Amid Trump WH Ban first appeared on Mediaite.

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