Capehart, Ponnuru discuss Trump moves against media

White House media access

President Trump’s attempt to ban media outlets from the White House was one of the political developments Jonathan Capehart and Ramesh Ponnuru discussed with Geoff Bennett on PBS. Capehart is with MS NOW, while Ponnuru is an editor at National Review.

The discussion treated Trump’s action as a question of press freedom and access to the White House. The action at issue was described as an attempt to exclude media organizations, rather than a completed ban. That distinction keeps the focus on what Trump is trying to do without presenting the proposed restriction as settled.

Capehart and Ponnuru discussed the development as part of a broader review of the week in politics. Their participation brought two commentators from different news organizations into the same conversation, with Bennett leading the exchange.

Republican frustration before the midterms

The conversation also turned to frustration among some Republicans with their own party as the midterms approach. The concern was attributed to some party members, not to Republicans as a whole, and it was presented as a separate political development from the dispute over White House media access.

The timing places those internal concerns ahead of the midterms, when voters will choose members of Congress and other officeholders. The discussion did not connect the frustration to a specific candidate or election contest. Instead, it focused on dissatisfaction within the party during the period leading into those elections.