April Ryan Not Invited To White House Christmas Party For The First Time In 20 Years, Says This Administration Has 'Disdain' For Her
As Christmas and other year-end holidays quickly approach, most of the country is focusing on the joy and spirit this season brings. However, the current administration under President Trump replaced merry, merry, Christmas with petty, petty pettyness when they did not invite veteran White House correspondent April Ryan to the White House Christmas Party.
Ryan, who primarily works as the White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, has been covering the White House for the last 20 years. In the two decades that she has had a chair in the press room, this is the first time she did not receive an invitation to the annual bash.
On Wednesday, The NAACP tweeted news of Ryan's exclusion
Ryan, who is also a CNN contributor, told The Washington Post she thinks the missing invitation was no accident.
“I don’t think I was overlooked,” she said. “I think they don’t like me. For whatever reason, they have disdain for me.”
Recently, during a broadcast with CNN's Don Lemon, Ryan spoke about how she feels Black reporters are treated by the Trump administration.
"Now if you question [the Trump White House], you're considered someone from the opposing party versus just [a journalist] trying to get the facts," she said. "And God forbid, you are someone of a different race, I was speaking of myself, you're considered an opposition. I don't bring my politics, I just ask questions about what's right and wrong or things that go on in Washington."
Although they were invited, CNN also announced they'd be missing the party due to 'the President's continued attacks on freedom of the press'
“In light of the President's continued attacks on freedom of the press and CNN, we do not feel it is appropriate to celebrate with him as his invited guests," a network spokesperson told POLITICO. "We will send a White House reporting team to the event and report on it if news warrants.”
News of CNN's boycott of the party was celebrated by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, who tweeted "Christmas comes early! Finally, good news from @CNN."
Sanders and Ryan have been at odds several times during recent press briefings.
Many feel the decision to not invite April Ryan further proved the disrespect Trump's White House has for journalists who oppose him
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