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Biden: 'Simply wrong' for Trump DOJ to seek journalists' phone records


President Biden Joe BidenTrump slams 'weak' Republicans who don't want to talk about Arizona audit FDA advises against Chinese-made syringes citing safety issues On The Money: Biden tries to navigate bumpy recovery | Jobless claims hit another post-pandemic low | Treasury calls for 15 percent minimum global tax MORE on Friday vowed that his administration would never seize the phone records of journalists after it was disclosed that the Trump administration secretly obtained the records of CNN and Washington Post reporters.

Biden, following a press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told reporters at the White House it was "absolutely, positively" wrong to seize reporters' communications.

"I won’t let that happen," he said during a brief Q&A with journalists after the official press conference ended.

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CNN reported Thursday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) informed its Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, that prosecutors obtained email and phone records from two months in 2017, including from her personal and work correspondence.

The CNN report followed a Washington Post article saying the DOJ under former President Trump Donald TrumpTrump slams 'weak' Republicans who don't want to talk about Arizona audit GOP leader's Jan. 6 call to Trump draws scrutiny in commission fight 20 state AGs tell Education Dept they oppose teaching critical race theory MORE secretly obtained phone records for three of its journalists, reportedly in an effort to uncover sources for a story in 2017 on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The reports drew condemnation from press freedom advocates, and reporters have in recent days asked the Biden administration whether it would rule out a similar practice.

"This president is committed, strongly, to the rights of the freedom of press, as you have seen for decades, and to standing up for the rights of journalists," White House press secretary Jen Psaki Jen PsakiWhite House encouraged by 'reports of a potential cease-fire' in Gaza White House: 'Incredibly disappointing' to see GOP oppose Jan. 6 commission The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - GOP opposes second Jan. 6-related bill MORE told reporters earlier Friday. "And the Justice Department conveyed yesterday that they intend to meet with reporters to hear their concerns about recent notices. And they, certainly, intend to use the 'Holder model' as their model — not the model of the last several years."

But journalists noted that former Attorney General Eric Holder Eric Himpton HolderRepublicans eye new House majority through redistricting One quick asylum fix: How Garland can help domestic violence survivors First redistricting lawsuits filed by Democratic group MORE had also pursued leak investigations aggressively during the Obama administration. When pressed on that, Psaki deflected questions to the DOJ.

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