'In my opinion, you are hurting...': ABC reporter barred from Trump’s London press event after heated exchange in Washington
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'In my opinion, you are hurting...': ABC reporter barred from Trump’s London press event after heated exchange in Washington")
US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)
ABC’s John Lyons was denied access to Trump’s London press conference after a heated exchange over the president's business dealings. The broadcaster denied any link between the incident and the exclusion
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was informed that its accreditation for US President Donald Trump’s press conference in London this week had been revoked due to "logistical reasons" after a confrontation between Trump and the network’s Americas editor, John Lyons, in Washington DC. Although the ABC's London bureau was still allowed to attend a meeting between Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, it was told that there was no longer room for them at the joint press briefing.
An ABC spokesperson clarified that the broadcaster had received no indication that the press conference exclusion was related to Lyons’ questions about Trump’s wealth and business activities, which had stirred tension earlier. During a press interaction earlier that week, Lyons had asked Trump how much wealthier he had become since resuming the presidency. Trump responded with an accusation that Lyons was damaging Australia’s relationship with the US, telling him: “In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now.”
Trump then criticised Lyons’ line of questioning, saying, “You set a very bad tone,” and even warned he would discuss the exchange with Australian PM Albanese. The president later silenced Lyons with a sharp “Quiet.” Despite this, the ABC confirmed it still had access to the White House and noted that Trump’s administration had criticised Lyons on social media, calling him a “foreign fake news loser.”
Lyons, who was reporting for the investigative show Four Corners, defended his questions as reasonable, asserting that he was simply asking if it was appropriate for a sitting president to be involved in so many business dealings. Trump dismissed the concern, saying that his children handled the business side of things.
In response, Australian politicians rallied behind Lyons, condemning Trump’s actions. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young argued that Trump was attempting to bully both the media and Australia. ABC’s news director Justin Stevens expressed strong support for Lyons, calling him one of Australia’s most respected journalists, emphasising that his role was to ask tough questions.
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