The U.S. Treasury Department has denied credentials to individual reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News for the Group of 20 finance ministers' meeting being held in Asheville, North Carolina, according to multiple news reports. The gathering brings together finance ministers, central bank governors and senior officials from the world's largest economies through Tuesday.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told The Associated Press on Sunday that the decision had "nothing to do with point of view." The Treasury has not provided additional explanation for which journalists were excluded or what criteria were used in credentialing decisions.
What the Left Is Saying
The New York Times issued a statement calling the denial of credentials "a blatant attempt to evade public scrutiny" and "an assault on press freedoms that we strongly condemn." The newspaper noted that with discussions about Iran, sanctions, bond markets and inflation on the agenda, "the stakes of this gathering are significant for the global economy and the American people."
Bloomberg News said denying its journalists access "undermines media freedom and public accountability," noting that multiple reporters from the agency, including some based in Europe and Asia, had their accreditation requests rejected. The Wall Street Journal declined to comment on its excluded reporters.
Reporters barred from the meeting include Alan Rappeport of The New York Times, who has covered Treasury and international finance meetings since 2017. Another Times reporter, Berlin bureau chief Jim Tankersley, is credentialed for the event. Press freedom advocates have pointed to this as part of a broader pattern of restricted media access under the current administration.
What the Right Is Saying
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that the credentialing decisions had no connection to journalists' political perspectives or news organizations' editorial positions. The Trump administration has previously defended its approach to press coverage, arguing it maintains appropriate access while enforcing standards for pool reporters and official events.
Administration supporters have noted that credentialing decisions at international summits are routine and that host governments retain discretion over which outlets can participate in formal coverage arrangements. They argue this is distinct from blocking domestic newsgathering within the United States.
What the Numbers Show
The G20 represents roughly 85 percent of global GDP, according to World Bank data, making its finance ministers' meetings significant for international economic policy coordination. The current gathering runs through Tuesday in Asheville, with a separate leaders' summit scheduled for December at Trump National Doral Miami golf club in Florida.
This is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, the Defense Department declared its press office a classified space inaccessible to journalists after most news outlets left following government-imposed restrictions on reporters' work. The Associated Press has separately sued the administration over access to the White House press pool after its coverage was curtailed for using "Gulf of Mexico" instead of the administration's preferred "Gulf of America."
The Bottom Line
The credential denials mean some of the most experienced financial and economic journalists will be unable to provide on-the-ground reporting from a gathering where significant policy discussions are occurring. News organizations have strongly condemned the move as an attack on press freedoms, while administration officials maintain the decisions were not viewpoint-based.
Journalists and press freedom advocates say they are watching for whether these restrictions expand or prompt legal challenges. The December G20 leaders' summit at Trump's Florida property may test whether similar credentialing disputes arise when heads of state gather to discuss global economic issues.