Power Grab/Fire anyone who can stop him
The Treasury Department denies G20 credentials to economics reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg
Treasury hosted the finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, from August 30 to September 1, 2026, and admitted The Daily Wire, Breitbart and Sinclair.
What happened
The Treasury Department denied credentials to economics reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News for the G20 finance ministers meeting it hosted in Asheville, North Carolina. The meeting ran from August 30 to September 1, 2026.
Those refused included the Times’ Alan Rappeport, who has covered Treasury since 2017, and the Journal’s Matt Grossman. Bloomberg staff in 5 countries were also refused. The local Asheville Watchdog, a news outlet in the host city, was turned away too. Treasury had accredited nearly 300 journalists.
The Times’ Berlin bureau chief was admitted, as were The Daily Wire, Breitbart and Sinclair. Treasury gave no reason beyond saying nearly 300 journalists were accredited. Secretary Scott Bessent told the AP the decisions had “nothing to do with point of view.”
Who benefited
Treasury controlled which reporters covered a meeting it hosted, and the outlets it admitted include The Daily Wire, Breitbart and Sinclair. Coverage of the finance ministers’ meeting came from a roster the department chose. Treasury gave no criterion for the choices.
Who wanted something
Treasury gave no reason for the denials. Secretary Scott Bessent said they had “nothing to do with point of view.” The record shows who was refused: the reporters at the Times, the Journal and Bloomberg who cover Treasury, including one who has done so since 2017.
Who lost out
Reporters who cover Treasury every day, including Alan Rappeport of the Times and Matt Grossman of the Journal, could not attend the G20 finance meeting. Bloomberg staff in 5 countries and the local Asheville Watchdog were also refused. Readers lost first-hand coverage of the meeting from those outlets.
Why it matters
The Treasury Department admitted The Daily Wire, Breitbart and Sinclair and refused The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. The Times’ Berlin bureau chief got in while its Treasury reporter did not. Treasury said nearly 300 journalists were accredited and offered no other reason.