Australia’s national broadcaster, ABC, has been excluded from attending Donald Trump’s press conference in the UK today.
On Thursday afternoon, Trump will take part in a press conference alongside Keir Starmer as part of his state visit to Britain.
One outlet who won’t be in attendance though is the ABC. Australia’s national broadcaster has been moved to an overflow room just days after their Americas editor John Lyons clashed with Trump over his business dealings.
Speaking to the president in Washington earlier this week, Lyons asked Trump how much wealthier he had become since returning to the Oval Office for his second term in January.
Trump hit back at the reporter: “In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now, and they want to get along with me.
“You know, your leader is coming over to see me very soon. I’m going to tell him about you. You set a very bad tone. You can set a nicer tone.”
Trump then told Lyons: “Quiet.”
Ahead of Trump’s UK press conference on Thursday, Downing Street and the Foreign Press Association (FPA) in the UK said the ABC had not been targeted, but rather was moved to an overflow room along with other international outlets due to space constraints.
The ABC said it had been told by Downing Street its accreditation to attend the press conference had been withdrawn for “logistical reasons”.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster told the Guardian: “The ABC’s London bureau is still accredited to attend Chequers, however, Downing Street media has said it no longer has a spot at the joint press conference due to logistical reasons.
“We have been given no indication this is connected to the questions put to President Trump by ABC Americas editor John Lyons earlier this week.”
A government spokesperson said: “Media accreditation for the state visit press conference at Chequers has been limited by capacity, caused by inevitable high demand.”
After the exchange between Lyons and Trump in Washington, the Trump administration wrote in a post on X that the reporter is a “foreign fake news loser.”