That should alarm every American, regardless of politics. A free press exists so the public can know what its government is doing, question those who wield its power and hold them accountable.

When government officials decide which journalists may enter the room, they begin to control which questions get asked, whose scrutiny they face and what the public gets to see and hear.

This is not happening in isolation. We have seen a disturbing pattern of government officials restricting, reshaping or selectively controlling press access to the WH, the Pentagon & now a major international gathering. Each new restriction makes it easier for the next one to become routine.

No administration should be allowed to handpick the press corps that scrutinizes it. The public’s right to know must come before any administration’s desire to control who gets to ask the questions.

We call on the Treasury Department to immediately reverse these decisions, credential the affected journalists and explain publicly how and why they were excluded.

Americans do not need a press corps chosen by the government. They need a free and independent press capable of holding the government accountable.

The National Press Club condemns the Treasury Department’s decision to bar journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News from covering the G20 finance ministers meeting in North Carolina.

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 31, 2026 – National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. issued the following statement today: