The White House commented on a CNN reporter who had earlier entered into a heated debate with President Donald Trump during a press conference. Trump described the reporter as "the enemy of the people."
Trump also angrily described reporter John Acosta as "a rude and terrible person" after the latter refused to sit down and pass the microphone to his colleagues during the conference, a day after the midterm elections.
"The White House has suspended the permit given to the reporter concerned until further notice," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said, referring to Acosta, who later wrote on his account that he had been denied entry.
The hot sparring began after the high-profile reporter stuck to the microphone and insisted on asking questions about the convoy of Central American immigrants heading for the US border.
"That's enough," Trump said. Then the employee pulled the microphone from Acosta without succeeding.
"President Trump believes in the freedom of the press and expects and even welcomes difficult questions about him and his administration," Sanders said.
"But we will never tolerate a reporter putting his hands on a young woman who is just trying to do her job as an apprentice in the White House," she said.
Acosta responded to his accusation of misconduct in a tweet in which he said, "This is a lie," and a number of journalists who accompanied him at the press conference joined him on Twitter.
"White House spokeswoman Sanders lied," CNN said in a statement, adding that the suspension of the press release was "a retaliatory response to a challenge."
The statement added that Sanders "made false accusations and cited an incident that did not occur," pointing out that "this unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, we offer our full support to Acosta."
The incident is the latest in a series of exchanges between the president and CNN reporters.
"I do not want them to come to the country, but they must do so legally," Acosta told the press conference a day after the midterm elections, asking Trump if he had "demonized the migrants" during the campaign.
"They are hundreds of miles away, this is not an invasion," Acosta insisted.
At the moment, the president said, "Honestly, I think you should allow me to run the country, you run CNN +, and if you do it well, the viewing rates will be greater."
As the reporter tried to keep up with the questions, Trump said, "That's enough, put the microphone aside," and moved away as if he were interested in leaving the conference.
The employee came to take the microphone from Acosta, who tried to put up a final question, but Trump waved his finger at him, reproaching him, "I'll tell you, CNN + should be ashamed of your work with her. + ".
When the NBC reporter asked the microphone to ask the next question, he defended Acosta, calling him "the persistent reporter," adding to Trump's anger: "I do not like you too. To be honest, you're not the best."
Trump then went back to Acosta, saying: "When you broadcast misleading news, which CNN does so much, you become the enemy of the people."
"The president's continuing attacks on the press have gone away this time," CNN said in its response.
"It's not only dangerous, it's also worrisomely non-American."
