Dem icon slams Trump but admits he too wanted to ban press ‘lots of times’

By Tom Wrobleski | wrobleski@siadvance.comFormer two-term Democratic President Bill Clinton has admitted that there were “lots of times” he wanted to ban the White House press corps.“I got news for the people who work in the White House today. There were lots of times when I wanted to ban the White House press corps,” he said at the Clinton Global Initiative 2026 summit, per The Hill. “And there’s a reason we have a constitution. Because none of us are immune from being pissed off.” Clinton spoke after President Donald Trump had banned CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House. A judge granted the outlets access while their legal challenge moves forward. Clinton said, “I’m glad I never did, and I’m glad I couldn’t” ban the press.The former president said, “And these people shouldn’t. The law should be what it is.”Clinton had a rocky time with the press over his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky, his impeachment and other issues. Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also slammed Trump over the press ban. “That is part of the give-and-take in not just politics, but democracy,” said the former US senator from New York. Hillary Clinton added that such a ban is “unfortunately what authoritarians do.”Former two-term Democratic President Barack Obama also bashed the press ban, saying, that he believed this issue “should not be a partisan issue” as this “should be something that rises above partisanship.”But Obama had been slammed for one time attempting to ban Fox News reporters. A 1987 graduate of Fordham University's College at Lincoln Center, Tom began working at the Staten Island Advance in 1995. The native Staten Islander started his career at the Advance as a community board...