NYT reporter removed from Trump rally in Michigan

A New York Times reporter claims she was removed from President Trump’s campaign rally in Freeland, Mich., on Thursday after campaign staff located her using images she posted on Twitter. 

As the rally was getting started, Kathy Gray noted on Twitter that out of the thousands of people who were at the rally, “maybe 10% have masks.” Gray then posted a photo of Air Force One with the caption “And so it begins” shortly before the president began speaking at the rally. 

“I’ve just been kicked out of the trump rally,” Gray tweeted less than 15 minutes later. 

She later added: “First for me: Trump campaign tracked me down from pics i tweeted and escorted me out.”

Trump rally in freeland attracts thousands . Maybe 10% have masks.

— Kathy Gray (@michpoligal) September 10, 2020

Crammed in crowd in the rain for trump rally in michigan. Not many masks pic.twitter.com/5DZ6JBVNK8

— Kathy Gray (@michpoligal) September 10, 2020

A Trump campaign spokesman told The Hill that Gray did not obtain press credentials “through the normal process” and was in the general admission section of the rally.

According to the campaign Gray was given the choice to stay in general admission but not while reporting.

The New York Times responded, saying that Gray was removed “when she registered and attended as a member of the public.” 

“We’re disappointed that the Trump campaign refused to credential our freelancer and then, when she registered and attended as a member of the public, they ejected her from the event,” a New York Times spokesperson said in a statement. “Our goal is to cover these campaign events and talk to voters about the candidates, and that’s what Kathy was trying to do.”

The president has routinely lashed out at the Times, calling it “failing” and “the enemy of the people.”

Updated Friday at 7:49 a.m.