Trump Flies To Mexico, Trump's Traveling Press Corps Left Behind In America

Trump's Campaign Manager Used The Trip To Bash Clinton's Accessibility To The Press

Media figures criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's “distressing” decision to leave his traveling press corps in the United States as he travels to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Trump's “alarming” treatment of the press throughout his presidential campaign has included revoking entire outlets' press credentials, taunting and insulting the press at campaign rallies, and promising to “open up our libel laws” if elected.

The Trump campaign's decision to leave their press behind is inconsistent with campaign manager Kellyanne Conway's claim that a joint press conference she said Trump would hold with Peña Nieto during the trip should be looked at “in direct contrast” to Hillary Clinton. (It was later reported that Trump was “not expected to take questions in Mexico, despite his campaign manager insisting this morning he would.)”

According to Politico's Hadas Gold, “reporters were 'seething'” on a call with the Trump campaign because “the campaign is leaving the press behind on its big trip to Mexico on Wednesday”:

Just one day after a traveling print pool was put in place for Donald Trump's campaign, the campaign is leaving the press behind on its big trip to Mexico on Wednesday.

The last-minute trip to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto was announced on Tuesday. And while there is a charter plane for the press traveling with Trump, their plane was directed to Phoenix where Trump will later give an immigration speech.

[...]

On the daily call with Trump communications director Jason Miller, reporters were “seething,” one source on the call, who asked not to be named because the call is off the record, told POLITICO. According to the source, the campaign only told the five-network television pool about the opportunity to cover the meeting around 3 a.m. While some reporters were weighing chartering their own plane to Mexico, they decided against it partly because the campaign did not indicate there would be a press availability until Conway's comments this morning.

This post has been updated.