Revokes Washington Post press credentials for coverage he calls “dishonest” and “phony”

On June 13, 2016, just one day after the Orlando massacre, Trump announced via Facebook that his campaign was revoking The Washington Post’s press credentials, accusing the paper of “incredibly inaccurate coverage” and calling it “phony” and “dishonest.” The move came after the Post accurately summarized his insinuation that President Obama might be sympathetic to or “involved” with the shooter. Trump’s decision barred Post reporters from his rallies and events and was one of several bans he imposed on mainstream outlets that criticized him. By using access to his campaign as a weapon against unfavorable coverage, he signaled that he saw independent media not as a democratic check but as an enemy to be punished, a warning shot for how he would treat the press as a candidate and later as president.

"Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, I am hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post." — June 13, 2016 Facebook statement announcing that his campaign would no longer grant press credentials to The Washington Post because of its coverage of his remarks about President Obama and the Orlando shooting