Treasury Bars Times, WSJ, Bloomberg Reporters From G20

Treasury Bars Times, WSJ, Bloomberg Reporters From G20

The News

The Treasury Department denied press credentials to specific reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, blocking them from covering the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Asheville, North Carolina.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the decision had nothing to do with the reporters' point of view. He offered no further explanation of the criteria used.

The gathering brings together finance ministers and central bank governors from the world's largest economies and runs through Tuesday.

Who Was Blocked

Among those denied was Alan Rappeport, who has covered the Treasury Department for The New York Times since 2017.

The denials were not blanket bans on the outlets. Another Times reporter, Berlin bureau chief Jim Tankersley, was granted access.

Timeline

Aug. 29

The New York Times reports that some of its reporters, along with reporters from the Journal and Bloomberg, were denied credentials for the Asheville meeting.

Aug. 30

The Associated Press, France 24 and Yahoo News report the denials. Bessent says the decision is unrelated to viewpoint.

Through Tuesday

The G20 finance ministerial continues in Asheville.

Reactions

The Times called the move a "blatant attempt to evade public scrutiny."

Bloomberg said the decision "undermines media freedom and public accountability."

Bessent said the credential decisions were not based on the journalists' viewpoints.

What's Next

The finance ministerial wraps up Tuesday in Asheville. A broader G20 summit involving heads of state is scheduled for December at President Trump's Doral golf club in Florida.

Treasury has not said what standard it applied in granting or denying credentials, and the affected outlets have not said whether they will seek legal recourse.

More

The move is the latest restriction on press access under the Trump administration. Earlier this year the Defense Department declared its press office a classified space, prompting most news organizations to vacate the Pentagon rather than accept the new terms.

Colleges Condemn Students Mocking Kirk Assassination Anniversary

Charleston White Arrested Again on Florida Battery Charge

Border Patrol Rescues MS NOW Crew in Desert

Supreme Court Restores Missouri's Old House Map

Alaska Drops Felony Voter Charges Against Samoans

Trespasser Breaches Harris' Malibu Estate; No Arrest

Hegseth Pressed Downed Airmen Into 60 Minutes

Houthis Seize Mokha, Choking Saudi Oil Exports

Altman Rules Out OpenAI IPO This Year

Jury Acquits Lil Durk in Murder-for-Hire Case

Judge: Trump Broke Law Halving FEMA Staff

Maher Calls Democrats' Gaza Genocide Claim a Lie

Blizzard Revives StarCraft, Sends Diablo to Netflix

Trump's Queens Childhood Home Sells for $1.93M

Scientists Find New Virus in Tick Invading US

Britain Bans Settlement Imports; US States Threaten Payback

Prison Fire Kills 7 as Kurds Protest Killing

Kosovo Rallies for Ex-President Before Hague Verdict

Cruz Booed at GameDay Over College Sports Bill

Blast Hits Bulgarian Arms Plant Supplying Ukraine