Who is Betsy Klein? Melania Trump approves CNN reporter for major event amid Trump's ban on outlet
Melania Trump appears to have reversed her husband Donald Trump's controversial decision to exclude multiple news organizations from White House access before her scheduled participation in New York for the UN General Assembly, which commences on September 22.
Melania Trump has allowed CNN's Betsy Klein to cover her initiative in New York, reversing Donald Trump's ban on several news organizations' White House access. (via REUTERS)The First Lady will permit CNN correspondent Betsy Klein to be present and provide coverage of her Fostering the Future initiative in New York City on Tuesday, as per CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter on Monday.
"We're going to see reporters get creative," Stelter said. "That's what we do sometimes when we have to. We're going to see reporters try and get credentialed in other ways."
"I'm told, for example, a CNN reporter has already been approved by the office of the First Lady to cover an event with Melania Trump on the sidelines of the UN tomorrow," he added. "So I'm expecting more of those sorts of things to happen."
"There will still be coverage of what the President and the First Lady are doing, but it's not going to be through the official pool because Trump has instituted this ban."
Klein, a senior White House correspondent for CNN, reported last week that Secret Service personnel confiscated her press credentials at a White House security checkpoint subsequent to Trump's implementation of media access restrictions.
Klein's reporting experience encompasses the Biden, Trump, and Obama administrations, alongside extensive coverage of domestic and international policy matters, the federal government's pandemic response initiatives, economic developments, presidential families, significant presidential diplomatic missions and international summits, and the 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Klein became a member of CNN's political division in 2014. She initiated her professional journalism career at ABC News, where she received an Emmy Award as a contributing member of the "Good Morning America" program. She completed her undergraduate education at Duke University, earning a degree in Cultural Anthropology.
President Trump declared on Friday, September 18, that CNN, MSNBC, and Politico would be prohibited from accessing the White House premises, asserting that these media organizations had disseminated what he characterized as “fake news”.
The three media organizations later initiated legal proceedings against Trump and several of his senior advisors, contending that the limitations imposed on their access constitute a “direct assault on the First Amendment”.
A judicial officer presiding over the matter has established a deadline of Tuesday for the Trump administration to submit its response.
The White House media pool declared on Monday that it would discontinue coordinated media coverage of Trump, thereby intensifying the ongoing conflict regarding journalist access.
The White House has launched 'Trump TV', a continuous streaming service dedicated to disseminating administration announcements, presidential statements, and supplementary coverage pertaining to the sitting US President.
Following Trump's prohibition of the three outlets and the television networks' refusal to participate, Melania's New York City event will proceed as scheduled, with emphasis placed on collaborative partnerships with technology enterprises.
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More
