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Trump campaign blocks NBC reporter from New Hampshire event after viral confrontation with Stefanik
Trump’s campaign declined to allow an NBC News correspondent to accompany him on his campaign rallies in New Hampshire on Monday.
Former US President Donald Trump’s campaign declined to allow an NBC News correspondent to accompany him on his campaign rallies in New Hampshire on Monday as the assigned pool reporter, leading to access being blocked for the day.
Correspondent Vaughn Hillyard was told "that the pool would be cut off for the day if he was the designated pooler by NBC News," according to a pool report accessed by the Deadline. However, the reporter in question attended a Trump campaign event in New Hampshire later that day.
NBC News has not released any statement yet. This move by the Trump's campaign came after Hillyard had a conversation with the ex-president's surrogate Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y, regarding the defamation case Trump faces against writer E. Jean Carroll. A jury found last spring that Trump did sexually assault her and also later defamed her. She was awarded $5 million in damages. Last week, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan threatened Trump with expulsion after he denied to stay quiet while Carroll testified.
After the exchange between Stefanik and the reporter, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung stated that the press pools are used by the campaign when "it makes sense for both sides."
A jury last year held Trump responsible for sexual assault of Carroll, and a trial is currently going on in New York to determine additional damages.
When Hillyard asked Stefanik if she believed E. Jean Carroll, she seemed annoyed and responded: “They are all witch hunts against Donald Trump and the reason is he is pulling ahead of Joe Biden.”
“The media is so biased. This is just another example of the media being out of touch. It’s not me. It’s not the media, it’s a jury that found it," she added.
Asserting that the media is "so out of touch" with the American people, Stefanik added: “Like 2016, you are going to see the American people speak out loudly and clearly with their vote.”
Stefanik says she's be happy to serve in a Trump admn
On Friday, Stefanik presented Trump to supporters at a Concord, New Hampshire event and also spoke to the ex-president's followers at his state office in Manchester.
Stefanik emphasised to the media and electorate that she was the first congresswoman to support Trump in this election season.
“I’m proud to be one of his strongest supporters, particularly at key moments,” she told media. Asked if she would consider being his VP, Stefanik said, “Of course I'd be honored, I've said that for a year, to serve in a future Trump administration in any capacity.”
While Trump primarily attends major rallies, his representatives at smaller gatherings are becoming crucial in helping him maintain his hold on the GOP. They are also promoting themselves and demonstrating that loyalty matters the most to the ex-US president.
Trump shuts down Nikki Haley running mate speculation
On Saturday, Trump left room for speculation after he stated that he "may or may not release something" on his vice presidential pick during the next few months. "The person that I think I like is a very good person, pretty standard. I think people won't be that surprised, but I would say there's probably a 25% chance it would be that person," the Republican front-runner told Fox News.
Trump's senior campaign adviser Jason Miller remained silent on talk of possible running mates. However, he maintained that Trump's supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire "have drawn massive crowds and have all done a fantastic job of energizing voters to turn out for President Trump. So we’re very happy and very excited with both the jobs that they’ve all done but as well, the reception that they’ve all received."
The Republican front-runner has already ruled out Indian-American Haley as 2024 running mate. At a Concord rally last week, he declared that his former ambassador to the United Nations is "not presidential timber."
