Trump says he is banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House

Trump Announces Ban on CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from White House

US President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he is immediately banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The announcement came in a post on Truth Social, where Trump said the three outlets “constantly write or report fiction or lies” about his administration, the Trump Administration, or the United States. No specific articles or broadcasts were identified in the post.

Trump later described the action as “a very simple ban” but did not detail how access would be restricted. It remains unclear whether reporters and camera crews from the named outlets would be barred from White House grounds, press briefings, or travel on Air Force One. Reporters from CNN and Politico were observed on the White House grounds after the announcement, and a CNN crew continued to travel with Vice President JD Vance to an event in Iowa.

CNN issued a statement calling any implemented ban “an illegal assault” on press freedoms and said it “stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting.” The network added that it has a constitutional right to report without government hindrance. Politico stated it would “continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones” and would “vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.” MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, did not issue a comment.

Trump wrote that media outlets should not be permitted to report what he described as fiction and lies when covering the presidency. The post concluded with the phrase “Other news outlets to follow.” When asked about additional outlets, Trump named The New York Times and The Washington Post as examples of what he called “fake news,” though he did not link those outlets to the current ban.

White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich said the organization stands in defense of colleagues “being singled out for doing their jobs.” Heinrich, who works for Fox News, stated that the matter concerns the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of presidential activities. Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that the decision resulted from “cumulative stories over the last few years” and that he had grown “sick of it.” He said additional outlets “may” be added but named none. He also noted that legal challenges were possible, saying “I think it’s good to point it out, whether it survives or doesn’t.”

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump and administration officials have had repeated exchanges with members of the White House press corps. In February 2025 the White House assumed control of the press pool that had previously been managed for more than a century by the White House Correspondents’ Association. The same month, the administration restricted Associated Press reporters and photographers from limited-access spaces after the outlet continued to use the term “Gulf of Mexico” rather than “Gulf of America.” The Associated Press filed suit, and the case remains pending.

During his first term, Trump revoked the credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta; the credentials were restored after CNN sued. CNN is one of five US outlets that provide video for the White House press pool. The BBC participates in the radio pool.

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University stated that excluding news organizations from the press pool on the basis of viewpoint would be unconstitutional because the pool constitutes a public forum. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said it expected any ban to be struck down by courts as viewpoint discrimination. The Freedom of the Press Foundation described the action as illegal and said such steps had not previously altered coverage patterns.

Trump has filed lawsuits against several news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the BBC. Some cases have ended in settlements involving multimillion-dollar payments; the BBC suit is ongoing. The implementation of the announced ban and any resulting court proceedings will determine whether reporters from the three outlets retain physical access to the White House and its events.