Iowa’s largest newspaper was banned from attending notable asshole Donald Trump’s campaign event in Iowa on Saturday (July 25). The Des Moines Register was denied press credentials and not permitted to attend Trump’s “Make America Great Again Rally and Family Picnic”.

The paper published an editorial on July 20 calling for Trump to drop out of the Republican race, calling his campaign “ill-conceived”. Trump responded in typical bully fashion, calling the paper “very dishonest” and denying them access to his rally. He called the paper “sophomoric”, “seriously failing” and “uneven and inconsistent” while insisting that he is the victim, and that the Register has treated him “very badly” in the past.

As is common with most print publications, the paper’s editorial and news divisions are entirely separate from each other. The division is so respected that it is often called the “division of church and state” – and the reporters covering political events are not the same reporters who contribute to editorials. Editor Amalie Nash said that Trump was “making punitive decisions because we wrote something critical of him”, which certainly fits with how he has been running his campaign thus far.

Trump continued to campaign against the paper as recently as Saturday morning, tweeting that the Register was “begging” for press credentials.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/624931238030262272

Trump has consistently responded to any perceived attack on his character with the emotional intensity of a toddler. Denying a long-standing newspaper the ability to cover a campaign event gives the press a dangerous, and accurate impression. To print anything critical now carries an inherent risk of retribution, which could understandably have some publications worried.  These aren’t befitting qualities for a future president of the PTA, let alone the United States.