Buzzfeed and The Atlantic reporters removed from private pro-Trump election night event for breaching reporting rules

Buzzfeed reporter Rosie Gray and McKay Coppins were escorted out of a private pro-Trump election night event held by Raheem Kassam and Steve Bannon’s War Room: Pandemic.

Gray, who covers politics and media for Buzzfeed, the publication best known for top-10 lists and the debunked Steele Dossier, a key piece of evidence in the Trump impeachment proceedings, recently published an article detailing the War Room party, which she attended alongside her cohort from The Atlantic, McKay Coppins. Coppins likewise wrote about his experiences at the party, with unsolicited interviews from attendees.

According to Raheem, neither individual received an invitation to the event in the capacity as either guests or reporters. An article on Kassam’s publication, The National Pulse, describes the reporters as having breached reporting rules by attempting to interview attendees and participants despite not being invited to the event, nor declaring themselves as such.

“Coppins also penned an article about his experiences at the election night party – also featuring interviews with attendees,” reports the Pulse. “Video, however, reveals that the individuals were not invited to the event as guests or reporters.”

“I’m putting this on the record. You are not here as reporters. You are not invited as reporters. And you are not okay to print what you interviewed in here tonight. Okay?” said Kassam to the reporters, who are said to have acquiesced and conceded that they were not there as reporters.

The Pulse reports, “Gray, who retreats while mumbling ‘this is so absurd,’ appears to cry as Kassam forces the pair to exit the party. The pair also initially tried to exit the building via the toilet, before being ushered the right way by Kassam and colleagues.”