RNC Revokes Journalist's Credential After She Presses GOP Candidate on Epstein Files

Journalist Tara Palmeri says RNC security revoked her press credential and escorted her out of the party's first midterm convention in Dallas on September 9-10, 2026, minutes after she questioned Massachusetts congressional candidate Robert Burke about the handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files. Palmeri, accompanied by her producer and three Epstein survivors who held valid guest passes, posted video showing security telling her the credential "could be revoked" without citing a specific rule she had broken; she says she was later told she could be arrested for trespassing if she returned. The RNC did not respond to requests for comment from Newsweek or other outlets.

The incident adds to a pattern of press-access restrictions around Trump-aligned events and comes amid continued pressure over Epstein-related records, including a bipartisan discharge petition led by Rep. Thomas Massie seeking further disclosures beyond the roughly 3 million pages the Justice Department released in January.

The RNC has not publicly disputed or explained Palmeri's account, and no rule violation has been identified.