Gretchen Carlson Urges White House Press Corps to Confront Trump’s Misogyny at 60
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 23
Gretchen Carlson Urges White House Press Corps to Confront Trump’s Misogyny at 60
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 23
Summary
Carlson, 60, called on White House reporters to collectively challenge Trump’s sexist attacks on female journalists, saying colleagues should repeat targeted questions and object when he uses insults.
Her appeal came as CNN, MS Now and Politico were barred from the White House, prompting rival TV networks to suspend shared coverage of Trump events in a rare show of press solidarity.
Carlson said the main obstacle to broader collective action is the rise of pro-Trump outlets willing to ask favorable questions, though she argued the White House Correspondents’ Association could still coordinate a response.
She pointed to Trump’s treatment of CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and his comments that women should smile more as examples of gendered behavior that normalizes misogyny beyond the briefing room.
Carlson framed the fight as part of a longer #MeToo-era campaign against workplace silencing, citing 2022 federal laws curbing forced arbitration and bipartisan support for Epstein survivor advocacy.
With feminist media outlets declining, who will hold powerful institutions accountable when hostile behavior targets female professionals?
How can journalists effectively coordinate pushback against workplace hostility without compromising their professional objectivity or losing critical access?
Do recent laws banning forced arbitration actually empower media professionals to challenge toxic environments, or does fear of retaliation remain?