The banning of CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from a White House press event yesterday was not the first assault on the press by disgraced former Fox News executive turned White House communications honcho, Bill Shine. There’s every reason to believe it won’t be his last.

The Hollywood Reporter plausibly reports that Shine was responsible for the banning of Collins as well as the cancellation of National Security Adviser John Bolton’s appearance on CNN as a response to CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s “bad behavior.”

Today, Shine was childishly belligerent when challenged by the press corps about his treatment of Collins:

During a brief interaction with reporters, the former Fox News executive admonished reporters to ask Collins “if we ever used the word ‘ban.’”

“What word would you use, Bill?” a reporter asked him.

“When you ask her if we ever used the word ‘ban,’ then I will answer that question,” Shine replied. “You ask her — focus now — you ask her if we ever used the word ‘ban.’”

Although it’s heartening to see the press corps band together in solidarity (with the glaring exception of FBN’s Lou Dobbs), there’s good reason to expect more and worse from Shine in the coming days. His combative stance over irrelevant semantics suggests he sees himself as an enforcer of press obedience, not a facilitator of a give and take process involving a cherished American institution.

Media Matters’ Angelo Carusone nailed it:

Angelo Carusone, president of the left-leaning media watchdog Media Matters for America, said that Wednesday’s draconian action was par for the course for Shine. “Shine’s role at Fox News was to impose order and ensure alignment across the network,” he said. “Put another way, he’s exercising the power that he has in order to threaten journalists and make it clear that the White House will impose consequences for coverage it deems troublesome.”

Carusone predicted, “This is just the beginning, too. It’s only going to get more intense from here.”

Watch Shine try to bully the press corps over the word “ban” below.