The White House took issue with reports that they banned CNN’s Kaitlan Collins from covering a White House event Wednesday after the White House informed her that she was not welcome to attend. White House deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine challenged reporters on Thursday over the word “ban.” On Wednesday, Collins was representing the television networks in an Oval Office event where she shouted several questions to the president related to his former lawyer Michael Cohen and about a White House invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shine refuted that Collins was banned, but repeatedly declined to tell reporters what word he would use to characterize the White House’s decision to block her from attending the event. The White House Correspondents’ Association issued a statement condemning the White House’s decision.
