President Donald Trump has barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from accessing the White House, with reporters from the three organizations turned away from the complex on Saturday.
The move followed Trump’s announcement a day earlier that the outlets would be excluded from the White House over what he described as repeated “fake news” coverage of his administration.
MS NOW said a reporter and cameraman were stopped at a security gate outside the West Wing and had their White House press credentials confiscated. CNN and Politico also reported that their journalists were denied access and had their credentials seized.
The White House’s decision has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and the White House Correspondents’ Association, which said constitutional protections for the press should not depend on whether a president approves of a news organization’s coverage.
Trump Cites ‘Fake News’
Trump announced the ban in a Friday post on Truth Social, accusing CNN, MS NOW and Politico of repeatedly publishing what he called “FICTION and LIES.”
He said the organizations would be barred from the White House with immediate effect and suggested that other media outlets could face similar restrictions.
Asked about the basis for the decision, Trump did not point to a specific report or incident. Instead, he described it as the result of what he called the outlets’ cumulative coverage over the previous two years.
“You get sick of it,” Trump said of the reporting.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with news organizations over coverage of his administration, accusing parts of the media of unfairly portraying his presidency.
News Organizations Challenge Ban
MS NOW said the White House is ultimately owned by the American people and pledged to defend the rights of its journalists.
The network said it would continue covering Trump, his administration and issues affecting Americans despite the restrictions.
CNN also rejected the move, arguing that journalists have a constitutional right to report on the government without interference.
Politico likewise said it would continue covering the administration and vowed to defend its First Amendment rights against efforts to restrict its journalists’ access.
Press Groups Condemn Move
The White House Correspondents’ Association condemned the decision, arguing that the First Amendment’s protection of press freedom does not depend on whether a president agrees with a news organization’s reporting or approves of questions asked by its journalists.
The association said the dispute went beyond the interests of individual reporters, arguing that the public has an interest in receiving independent coverage of the president and the workings of government.
Press freedom groups and other critics have also questioned the legality of the restrictions, particularly because the outlets were targeted over the content of their reporting.
Trump and the Media
Trump has had a long-running dispute with sections of the American media and has frequently accused news organizations of biased or hostile coverage.
The latest restrictions follow previous clashes between his administration and news organizations over access to government institutions.
The Associated Press, for example, was previously barred from White House access after it declined to adopt the administration’s preferred name, “Gulf of America,” for the body of water commonly known as the Gulf of Mexico.
The latest ban has intensified the dispute between the White House and news organizations as questions grow over the limits of presidential authority to control media access to government premises.
