The Republican Party has decided to withdraw the media accreditation of CBC/Radio-Canada for their upcoming midterm convention. Chuck Thompson, the head of public affairs at CBC, confirmed this on Monday, stating that the Republican National Committee (RNC) will not be granting accreditation to CBC/Radio-Canada journalists to cover the convention in Dallas, Texas on September 9 and 10. Thompson mentioned in a written statement that CBC is currently reviewing the decision made by the RNC and expressed disappointment, hoping for a reconsideration.

Organizers of the convention did not respond immediately to CBC News’ requests for comment via email on Monday evening. The White House directed CBC’s inquiries to the RNC, but contacting the committee by phone was unsuccessful on Monday evening. This move to revoke accreditation comes at a time when tensions between Canada and the United States have escalated due to new sanctions and strong rhetoric from politicians on both sides of the border.

Recently, Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials criticized CBC following the leak of an internal memo from the public broadcaster regarding the use of “terrorism” and “terrorist” in relation to the 9/11 attacks, which gained international attention. The memo outlined CBC’s policy for journalists to refrain from labeling specific attacks as terrorist acts unless attributed, sparking controversy ahead of the upcoming 25-year anniversary of 9/11.

After a group of Republican U.S. House members questioned the CBC’s motives on social media, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, Basem Boshra, announced on Friday that they would adjust their language guidance to clarify that direct attribution is not necessary when describing the events of 9/11 as terrorism. This adjustment aims to enhance clarity and public understanding, addressing concerns raised about the broadcaster’s language policy regarding the historic events of 9/11.