In the days following the shooting event Saturday at the annual White House Correspondents' Association awards dinner, there has been no shortage of media distemper. Outrage, accusations, deflections, reassessments, misdirections, and more have been on display to a level not seen since the day the Mueller Report was released. The press are in a state, that’s for certain.
One of the narratives that has been in constant rotation for days has been talk regarding the First Amendment. As we have come to expect, some of this is referencing that the press has freedom of expression and it needs to be preserved – which ends up stating that people critical of the press need to pipe down. Funny how that paradox works. There are debates about what type of language is proper to be platformed, and - in tiresome fashion - Jimmy Kimmel is being groomed to be the 1-A poster model of the month.
We all need to gird ourselves: One thing that is reliable are the perpetual appearances by those who will never come close to shutting up about claiming to be silenced.
It could be a challenge to come up with the most insipid comments in all of the current hectoring over free expression, but I offer up that there has been one other example of First Amendment discourse that rises…er, make that, lowers to that level. It is something of an accomplishment to outperform the likes of AOC, or Ilhan Omar when it comes to speaking in hand grenades, yet Richard Stengel has taken up the challenge.
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Stengel, a repeated managing editor of Time Magazine, a contributor at MS NOW, and a onetime part of the Obama administration, decided to weigh in on the aftereffects, focusing on the administration insisting that Saturday’s upheaval downtown was cause for the ballroom construction to plow ahead. Rich heard this ploy, and he came up with his argument concerning why this was a dangerous concept.
By the way, the White House hosting the correspondents dinner in its own ballroom is arguably a violation of the First Amendment: it's government control over press access and expression and could have a chilling effect on criticising the president.
— Richard Stengel (@stengel) April 27, 2026
Oh…oh Richard, did you really…?
Just on the surface, this is a risible remark to make. Suggesting that the act of the press holding a party could lead to a devious violation of press freedoms by the administration is a farce. Just look at the way these “esteemed” journalists behaved in liquor absconding fashion after the incident Saturday. The only threat to the reputations of journalists is if anyone manages to record their behavior!
But Stengel’s claim gets blasted into confetti when the barest of analysis is made. Let’s just start with the organization bearing the very name “White House.” That should indicate a certain level of co-habitation is acceptable. But you really have to marvel at a veteran newsman appearing oblivious to rather core facts about the involvement of these correspondents.
How about the fact that media events are a regular feature at the White House, Rich?
And the news outlets are frequently seen placing their people inside the Oval Office, having direct discussions with the president, don’t ya know.
And then there is one other detail I could bring up, if I was to get very persnickety and presumptuous: How about the fact that there is a White House briefing room?!
These folks occupy workspaces in that building and have web access, as well as credentialed reporters are seen daily filing newsfeeds around the property. Somehow, all of this plays out on a daily basis with no impact on public discourse, but if a once-a-year formal party is staged on the grounds, we are taking a two-stroke weed whacker to the Bill of Rights?
Again, am I shocked that an emotion-based reactionary opinion has been delivered in the press? No, not really. But, am I surprised to see such coming from an allegedly venerated figure in the news environment? Only slightly more so. There is only one thing more perplexing than Richard Stengel failing to grasp the basics of the press at the White House:
It is that he has not yet deleted this post.
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