Donald Trump’s decision, on September 18th, to summarily revoke White House access from three major news outlets—CNN, , and MS NOW—is consistent with the mercurial, paranoid, and inscrutable style that has defined his political career but has been particularly prominent in his second term. Since Trump returned to the Presidency, his Administration has tended to justify its most belligerent actions by claiming national-security concerns or by couching said actions as an attempt to root out fraud. Earlier this year, the noted that Trump had cited “national security” as justification for acts as disparate as halting the development of wind farms off the East Coast, stripping union rights from federal employees, and continuing the construction of his behemoth ballroom. (He is now making the same argument regarding his colossal arch.) Accusations of fraud have been the reasoning for ’s evisceration of the federal workforce, ’s occupation of Minneapolis, and, just last week, the removal of three-quarters of a million people from the Affordable Care Act rolls. In a frenzied attempt to retrofit a rationale for Trump’s abrupt press ban, the White House turned to some version of both of these arguments.

Donald Trump’s decision, on September 18th, to summarily revoke White House access from three major news outlets—CNN, , and MS NOW—is consistent with the mercurial, paranoid, and inscrutable style that has defined his political career but has been particularly prominent in his second term. Since Trump returned to the Presidency, his Administration has tended to justify its most belligerent actions by claiming national-security concerns or by couching said actions as an attempt to root out fraud. Earlier this year, the noted that Trump had cited “national security” as justification for acts as disparate as halting the development of wind farms off the East Coast, stripping union rights from federal employees, and continuing the construction of his behemoth ballroom. (He is now making the same argument regarding his colossal arch.) Accusations of fraud have been the reasoning for ’s evisceration of the federal workforce, ’s occupation of Minneapolis, and, just last week, the removal of three-quarters of a million people from the Affordable Care Act rolls. In a frenzied attempt to retrofit a rationale for Trump’s abrupt press ban, the White House turned to some version of both of these arguments.

Donald Trump’s decision, on September 18th, to summarily revoke White House access from three major news outlets—CNN, , and MS NOW—is consistent with the mercurial, paranoid, and inscrutable style that has defined his political career but has been particularly prominent in his second term. Since Trump returned to the Presidency, his Administration has tended to justify its most belligerent actions by claiming national-security concerns or by couching said actions as an attempt to root out fraud. Earlier this year, the noted that Trump had cited “national security” as justification for acts as disparate as halting the development of wind farms off the East Coast, stripping union rights from federal employees, and continuing the construction of his behemoth ballroom. (He is now making the same argument regarding his colossal arch.) Accusations of fraud have been the reasoning for ’s evisceration of the federal workforce, ’s occupation of Minneapolis, and, just last week, the removal of three-quarters of a million people from the Affordable Care Act rolls. In a frenzied attempt to retrofit a rationale for Trump’s abrupt press ban, the White House turned to some version of both of these arguments.

Donald Trump’s decision, on September 18th, to summarily revoke White House access from three major news outlets—CNN, , and MS NOW—is consistent with the mercurial, paranoid, and inscrutable style that has defined his political career but has been particularly prominent in his second term. Since Trump returned to the Presidency, his Administration has tended to justify its most belligerent actions by claiming national-security concerns or by couching said actions as an attempt to root out fraud. Earlier this year, the noted that Trump had cited “national security” as justification for acts as disparate as halting the development of wind farms off the East Coast, stripping union rights from federal employees, and continuing the construction of his behemoth ballroom. (He is now making the same argument regarding his colossal arch.) Accusations of fraud have been the reasoning for ’s evisceration of the federal workforce, ’s occupation of Minneapolis, and, just last week, the removal of three-quarters of a million people from the Affordable Care Act rolls. In a frenzied attempt to retrofit a rationale for Trump’s abrupt press ban, the White House turned to some version of both of these arguments.

Donald Trump’s behavior cannot be called unexpected at this point. What was noteworthy last week, however, was the way that the media responded.