Texas Gov. Abbott Blocks Media—Including CNN’s Jim Acosta—from Trump Border Event

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Staff for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) reportedly blocked some reporters from attending Wednesday’s event with the governor and former President Donald Trump, who was visiting the border in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Abbott and his staff are blocking press access to his event today with Trump,” CNN’s Jim Acosta wrote on Twitter. “They’ve decided to turn their roundtable discussion into a ‘pool’ coverage event. However, in addition to pool, Abbott’s team is selectively allowing certain non-pool outlets into the event.”

Pool reporters are those selected by their respective media outlets to regularly attend press conferences on their beat.

“I was also excluded,”  Olivia Beavers lamented in a follow-up message. “We received no heads up beforehand that this was the set-up or change of plans, after traveling down to cover this. I’d registered with Gov. Abbott’s team ahead of time.”

Trump was in the region on Wednesday for an event billed as a briefing on border security. He was scheduled to tour an unfinished section of fencing on the border following the briefing. Officials joining Trump at the confab included Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas Department of Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd, and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who served as Trump’s physician in the White House before his election to Congress.