Story highlights CNN, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Politico and Buzzfeed were blocked from an off-camera press briefing Friday

CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin also responded on air after learning the White House had blocked the news outlets

(CNN) CNN's Jake Tapper said there's one word to describe the White House's decision to block several news organizations from a press briefing: "un-American."

CNN, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Politico and Buzzfeed were blocked from an off-camera press briefing Friday held by White House press secretary Sean Spicer just hours after President Donald Trump again said much of the press represents "the enemy of the people," this time during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

On Thursday, CNN reported that the FBI refused a request from the White House to knock down recent reports that President Donald Trump's campaign had been in contact with Russians known to US intelligence.

"The Trump White House thinks it can punish reporters for sharing with you facts that they do not like," Tapper said.

"Make no mistake about what's happening here," Tapper continued. "A White House that has had some difficulty telling the truth and has seemed to have trouble getting up to speed on the competent functioning of government and a President who seems particularly averse to any criticism and has called the press the 'enemies of the American people,' they're taking the next step in avoiding checks and balances and accountability."

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