The above is an image from 2015, of happier times...
Two of America's biggest White House reporters have not been invited to the White House Christmas party this year, for the first time in decades, and it just so happens that one of the reporters is black, and the other is gay.
April D Ryan is the White House correspondent and DC bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, and is black. She has been invited to every White House Christmas party for the last 20 years. But not this year.
She told
The Washington Post that "I don’t think I was overlooked. I think they don’t like me. For whatever reason, they have disdain for me."
Meanwhile, Chris Johnson is the chief political and White House reporter for the Washington Blade (one of the world's longest running LGBT publications), has been invited to every White House Christmas party since George W. Bush left the office in 2009. But, again, not this year.
He told
The Independent that "My first reaction was I assumed it must have been an oversight. [...] It is consistent with the White House press secretary not calling on me during the on-camera press briefings. [This is] just kind of consistent with the policy of the administration to exclude LGBTQ people."
Reporters from most other major outlets such as New York Times, Washington Post and Politico have been invited, but CNN are boycotting the event entirely.
A spokesperson from the news outlet told
The Hill that "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 invited guests."
To which the White House Press Secretary responded:
https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/935660952200138754
Lovely.
