Trump Ejects New York Times Journalist

New York Times journalist Trip Gabriel was ejected from a Donal Trump event.

I was late to Donald J. Trump’s unannounced visit to a Pizza Ranch on Friday, his first drop-by of this ubiquitous Iowa chain that is standard stop for candidates, but which Mr. Trump has avoided in favor of boisterous crowds in big halls.

I opened my briefcase and extended my arms for a Secret Service screening, then entered the restaurant crowded with Trump supporters in campaign T-shirts. There was a knot of TV cameras and still photographers, who had been bused to the location.  Mr. Trump was already speaking in a back room.

Barely a minute later, I was ejected from the restaurant by a Trump staff member and a local police officer.

“It’s a private event, you have to go,’’ the officer said, even though the 20 or so other journalists continued to cover the event.

A Trump campaign aide walking beside the officer said I was being excluded on orders from “Chuck and Stephanie,’’ an apparent reference to Mr. Trump’s Iowa state director, Chuck Laudner, and his wife, Stephanie, also a staff member.

In a text message later, Mr. Laudner said, “I didn’t even know you were there.’’

Links

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/15/donald-trump/?_r=0