A reporter for The Nation magazine was ejected from the joint news conference between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday just moments before the two leaders took the stage to make statements and receive questions from the assembled journalists.
The reporter, Sam Husseini, has written for the magazine and serves as communications director at the Institute for Public Accuracy.
Dramatic video of the event was also captured and posted to Twitter by Cheddar’s J.D. Durkin.
Sam Husseini — who identified himself as a journalist from The Nation — was escorted out by secret service moments before the press conference in Helsinki pic.twitter.com/QXZJqBcst5
— j.d. durkin ? (@jd_durkin) July 16, 2018
MSNBC reporter Kelly O’Donnell, who was also at the presser, said the man had been credentialed for the event which made the incident highly unusual.
Reps for the iconic liberal publication did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
While there was some initial speculation on MSNBC that the move was an attempt to clamp down on press freedom, footage of the moment showed that Husseini had been holding up signs in an apparent attempt to protest the event.
“You’re grabbing me for what? I am telling you what I am doing. I am being totally open,” Husseini said as he was led away by security personnel. The moment caused a stir among the assembled press and footage of Husseini’s departure was speckled with iPhones filming the moment of those gathered around him.
WATCH — journalist Sam Husseini forcibly removed by secret service before the start of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki pic.twitter.com/dkuqtfqLRt
— j.d. durkin ? (@jd_durkin) July 16, 2018
“Sam Husseini, communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, received press accreditation from The Nation to cover the summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki,” the magazine told TheWrap in a statement.
“At a time when this administration consistently denigrates the media, we’re troubled by reports that he was forcibly removed from the press conference before the two leaders began to take questions. This is a developing situation that we will be following closely.”