Donald Trump bans Washington Post from covering his campaign

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has revoked credentials provided to the Washington Post after the presumptive nominee deemed their coverage of the election race “inaccurate”.

“Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post,” Trump wrote on his Facebook page.

He wrote that he’s “no fan of” President Barack Obama, but faulted the Post for a headline posted Monday that he said read, “Donald Trump suggests President Obama was involved with Orlando shooting.”

The headline on the story on Monday afternoon read: “Donald Trump seems to connect President Obama to Orlando shooting.”

Post spokeswoman Kristine Coratti Kelly said in an email the headline was changed shortly after the story posted “to more properly reflect what Trump said”. She added, “We did so on our own; the Trump campaign never contacted us about it.”

A Post photographer and reporter attended Trump’s speech in New Hampshire Monday afternoon without issue.

In a statement, Post editor Martin Baron said Trump’s decision to revoke the paper’s press credentials “is nothing less than a repudiation of the role of a free and independent press”.

“When coverage doesn’t correspond to what the candidate wants it to be, then a news organisation is banished. The Post will continue to cover Donald Trump as it has all along – honourably, honestly, accurately, energetically, and unflinchingly. We’re proud of our coverage, and we’re going to keep at it,” he said.