National Press Club Bans Reporters While Protesting Trump Banning Reporters

Yesterday, the National Press Club issued a statement condemning President Trump’s decision to ban CNN, Politico and MS Now from the White House.

“Every American should understand what is at stake,” said Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. “If implemented, this ban would mark an unprecedented assault on press freedom.”

“The National Press Club calls on the President to reverse this declaration immediately.”

“President Trump is continuing his relentless and disturbing effort to bully the news media. This simply can’t happen in a democracy that has depended on a free and independent press to cover the country’s leaders for 250 years.”

Mmmmm.

Interesting.

Banning reporters?

Bullying the news media?

Where have we seen this before?

Oh yeah, at the National Press Club.

By the National Press Club.

I’m a dues paying member of the Club.

But earlier this month, I had my Club privileges suspended for a period of two weeks.

Why?

For being a reporter and asking questions.

It all started when I was invited by Public Citizen to attend a press conference – “we’d love to see you there” – at the Holeman Lounge in the National Press Club on July 30.

The title of the press conference was “Combating Corruption.”

That is right up my alley. For the past forty years, I’ve been the editor the Corporate Crime Reporter, a weekly legal newsletter that covers corporate crime and public corruption. For the past couple of years, I’ve edited the Capitol Hill Citizen, a broadsheet 40-page print newspaper that covers Congress – and corruption on the Hill.

I was taken aback when I learned that the lead speaker at the Public Citizen press conference was Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York), also known by his nickname – the Senator from Wall Street. And of course, also the leader in the Senate in the push to fund Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

I asked Public Citizen’s press office whether there would be a question period and heard back that “Yes, there will be time for questions from press. We will do hands raised and pass a mic.”

But then the day before the press conference, I get a follow up email from Public Citizen saying – “Hey there – We actually took out the question and answer session for Schumer’s speech.”

Hey there — Uh oh.

Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark.

Public Citizen realized that they had stepped in it — inviting a corrupt Senator to speak on combating corruption. Some reporter might actually ask Schumer about his own corruption. Can’t have that. Let’s keep the focus on Trump. And not allow questions.

I arrive at the Press Club and sit in the front row, next to my colleague Sam Husseini. I snap a picture of Schumer preparing his remarks sitting next to Husseini, preparing his question.

Schumer begins his remarks and within a minute, Husseini, knowing that Public Citizen had cut out the question and answer period, stands up and starts asking Schumer a question.

Husseini’s question has to do with Schumer’s corruption, taking money from AIPAC and turning around and funding Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Husseini points out to Schumer that he was notified in November 2023 by the Center for Constitutional Rights and other human rights groups that he could be liable for criminal prosecution for funding a genocide.

“What could be more corrupt than backing a genocide?” Husseini asks. Husseini is then led out of the room by Press Club security.

(A few days later, Husseini gets a letter from the Press Club banning him from the Club for violating Club rules. He’s appealing that ban but hasn’t heard back from the Club about his appeal.)

I wait for Schumer to finish his remarks and ask a question about Schumer’s corruption and the genocide, but Schumer just walks out of the room.

I then listen to AIPAC Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) speak about Trump’s corruption. When he finished, I ask Whitehouse about his funding of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. He ignores the question and walks out.

Next up – AIPAC Senator Alex Padilla (D-California). After he finishes his remarks, I ask him whether he agrees with the majority of Democrats that the corrupt Senator Schumer should resign. “He’s the leader of our Democratic caucus.”

But should he resign? I ask again.

“He’s the leader of our Democratic caucus. Next question.”

All three Senators — Schumer, Whitehouse and Padilla — have taken tens of thousands of dollars from pro-Israel PACS in exchange for their support for the genocide in Gaza.

I was actually dumbfounded that Public Citizen would have Schumer as the lead speaker at an event on combating corruption. So after the event, I met up with Public Citizen’s co-president Lisa Gilbert at the back of the Holeman Lounge and ask her about this. But before she could answer, an aide comes up to her and said that she had to take a call — and Lisa says to me — “one moment Russell while I take this call.”

But then she never comes back. So I go out into the hallway and find her and began asking about Schumer and funding the genocide in Gaza in exchange for AIPAC funding. What about that corruption?

As I was asking the question, we are approached by a woman who identifies herself as the Press Club’s director of security.

“Lisa, how are you?” the woman says.

“I’m fine, how are you?” Lisa responds.

“Are you good, do you need me to walk you downstairs — do you want to come with?” the woman says.

“Yes I do,” Lisa says.

I go back to the question I was asking before I was interrupted – asking about Senator Schumer taking AIPAC money and then turning around and funding a genocide.

“How could you put him on (a panel on combating corruption) — given that, how could you put him (Schumer) on (the panel)?” I ask.

“Sir –” the woman says to me.

“I’m a reporter,” I say, showing my press pass, which I’m wearing clearly visible on my lanyard.

“I understand that, but I’m the director of security for the National Press Club,” the woman says.

This is the first time she introduces herself to me.

She then turns to Lisa Gilbert.

“Do you want to continue this or would you like us to go downstairs because I know you needed to get somewhere you told us you had to be?” she says.

“I can go down with you but I would just like an answer to my question,” I say to Lisa.

“If you would like to,” the director of security says to Lisa.

Lisa then finally answers my question – “This event is about anti-corruption. His (Schumer’s) new bill is something we support.”

“And he’s corrupt,” I say.

“It’s not connected,” Lisa responds.

It’s not?

That was the extent of my interaction with Lisa Gilbert and the unnamed “director of security.”

I write this up for an article we published in the August/September 2026 issue of the Capitol Hill Citizen under the headline – A Day at the National Press Club.

On August 26, I get a letter from Darren Samuelsohn, who is the chair of the Ethics Committee at the Press Club — and Chair of the Club’s Board of Governors — informing me that my membership privileges had been suspended for two weeks — through September 10 — for violating Club rules.

“Club leadership has received reports alleging that you failed to comply with directives issued by authorized Club staff and security personnel responsible for maintaining order at the Club,” Samuelsohn wrote. “The reports further allege that your conduct interfered with Club personnel and disrupted the orderly conclusion of the event.”

The suspension letter was copied to Mark Schoeff Jr (President), Zach Cohen (Secretary), Miguel Dominguez (Director of Clubhouse Operations), Didier Saugy (Executive Director) and Katie Vogel (Membership Secretary).

It took a number of emails before I could pry from Darren Samuelsohn what exactly I allegedly did that violated Club rules.

“Club personnel and security staff reported observing you persistently questioning and following Public Citizen President Lisa Gilbert as she attempted to leave the event area,” Samuelsohn wrote. “The Club’s Director of Safety & Risk directed you to stop and subsequently instructed you not to continue following her.”

I repeatedly asked over a period of the last couple of weeks what evidence the Club has to support this false allegation and who is making the allegation. The Club never answered my inquiry.

In fact, I have an audio recording of my only interaction with the woman who identified herself as director of Club security. And she never directed me to stop questioning Lisa Gilbert and she never instructed me not to continue following Lisa Gilbert. Nor did anyone else.

In other words – it’s a false and defamatory accusation.

The audio recording has me asking a question of Lisa Gilbert. And the director of security tells Lisa she can answer my question if she would like to. No directive telling me to stop. No directive telling me to stop following Lisa.

Samuelsohn said that the suspension remains on my record at the Club, but that I could appeal to the Board of Governors — Darren Samuelsohn (Chair), HyoJung Kim (Washington Post), Ian Kullgren (Bloomberg Industry Group), Casey Morell (NPR Politics Podcast), Delece Smith-Barrow (Politico) and Steff Thomas (The Hill).

I did appeal and asked that I appear in person and be allowed to face my unnamed accuser. I also asked for an apology by the Club for making the false accusation. No response.

On September 17, I get a letter to me from Samuelsohn saying the Board has denied my appeal.

“The concern in this matter was not the substance of the questions you sought to ask or your role as a journalist,” Samuelsohn wrote. “Rather, the concern was your conduct after Club personnel intervened.”

Again, the false accusation.

Next up as President of the Press Club?

The current Club Vice President, Steve Reilly of Bari Weiss’ CBS – Israel on the Potomac.

Here’s what I think is going on.

The Press Club is sending a message to all reporters — don’t you dare come up here and question Israel or Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Don’t You Dare.

We will trump up a charge against you and kick you out.

Just like Trump.