News outlets not traveling with Trump over COVID-19 concerns
'White House reporters had safety concerns and were not comfortable traveling with the president,' NYT said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Several media outlets decided not to travel on Air Force One with President Trump as he traveled to a rally in Florida, citing concerns over his recent COVID-19 diagnosis, despite the White House physician clearing him to return to the stump.
The New York Times reported Monday that The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have joined the "Gray Lady," a nickname for The New York Times, in choosing not to send any journalists, to ride with the president.
Other media organizations and websites which have recently avoided Whtie House press pool duty reportedly include Politico, Hearst Newspapers and BuzzFeed, according to the Times.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“White House reporters had safety concerns and were not comfortable traveling with the president at this time,” Elisabeth Bumiller, Washington bureau chief for the Times said.
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This news comes as Trump rallied in Florida on Monday night at an airport in Sanford, just north of Orlando, appearing at his first campaign event since his coronavirus diagnosis.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His doctor said he's responded well to treatment and claims he can safely go about his normal schedule without being an infection risk.
This report also comes on the same day Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, began her Senate confirmation hearing and delivered her opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee.