Yes. President Trump announced Friday that he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, and the White House began enforcing it Saturday.
On Truth Social he wrote that the ban was “effective immediately” because of what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS,” “FICTION and LIES.” He said other outlets could follow. Later in the Oval Office he described it as cumulative coverage over years, not one specific story: “You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news.” He added he does not have to let them into “the people’s house.”
What happened on the ground
- Friday: Reporters from the three outlets were still on the grounds after the announcement.
- Saturday: Journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico had press badges confiscated and were turned away at the gate.
Outlet responses
- CNN called it an “illegal assault” on its First Amendment rights and said reporting will continue regardless of physical access.
- Politico said it will “vigorously defend” those rights.
- MS NOW said it will take “any and all steps necessary” to defend independent journalism.
Trump did not spell out exact mechanics beyond “as far as you can” (office access, grounds, pool, etc.). Legal analysts and the outlets themselves expect court challenges because he tied the ban explicitly to the content of their coverage.
MS NOW is the former MSNBC after the Comcast/Versant split; Trump described the name change as due to “lack of viewership and credibility.” He also repeated his claim that Politico received an $8 million government subscription under Biden.
He separately labeled the New York Times and Washington Post “fake news” but said he has not taken the same step with them yet.
