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Mike Pence Mike Pence: Trump campaign to discuss lifting media blacklist

Vice presidential candidate Mike Pence said the Trump campaign is having conversations about lifting the blacklist it has applied to certain media outlets.

Speaking to radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday, Pence defended his own history of dealing with the news media, saying he authored legislation while in Congress to help protect journalists’ confidential sources.

“We’re going to have those conversations internally and I fully expect in the next 100 days we’re going to continue to be available to the media, whether they’re fair or unfair," Pence said.

The Trump campaign has blacklisted certain outlets, including POLITICO, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post and others, from attending his events because of what he considers unfair coverage. On Friday, CNN’s Chris Cuomo said he is blacklisted from the Trump campaign “because of how we conduct our interviews.”

Trump may be the Republican nominee, but the Republican National Committee refuses to get involved or even comment on Trump’s treatment of the news media, instead diverting all questions to the campaign.

Calling it the “a big criticism” he has of the Trump campaign, Hewitt asked Pence on Friday to “argue with” Trump to lift the ban.

“Reporters are part of the game,” Hewitt said. “We shouldn’t ban, Republicans should not be afraid of reporters,” adding later, “It’s an unnecessary diversion.”

Pence for his part once considered launching a state-run news serviced called “JustIN,” which he ultimately scrapped after public outcry.

Hadas Gold is a reporter at Politico.