US President Donald Trump has announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be barred from the White House, accusing the news organisations of repeatedly publishing what he described as “fake news” about his administration.
Trump announced the move on Friday, September 18, through his Truth Social platform and suggested that other media organisations could face similar restrictions.
“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW … and Politico … from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
He accused the outlets of reporting what he described as “fiction and lies” about the president, his administration and the United States.
Trump did not identify specific reports that prompted the decision. He later defended the move while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, saying he believed news organisations should not be allowed to repeatedly publish what he considers false reports.
When asked whether the action was intended to intimidate journalists from carrying out their work, Trump rejected the suggestion and criticised what he described as dishonest reporting.
“I dislike dishonest press like you. I think you are terrible.”
Trump also suggested that the New York Times and Washington Post could face further restrictions, although he did not announce bans against either organisation.
One of Trump’s specific complaints concerned Politico. He alleged that the Biden administration had spent about $8 million on subscriptions to Politico, describing the expenditure as improper. The Washington Post reported that Trump said the subscriptions had subsequently been cancelled.
The affected organisations have challenged Trump’s characterization of their journalism.
CNN said it stood behind its White House reporting and argued that it had a constitutional right to report without government interference. Politico also said it would continue reporting on the Trump administration and defend its First Amendment rights.
The White House Correspondents’ Association, led by Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, also defended the journalists affected by the announcement and said constitutional protection of the press does not depend on whether a president approves of a news organisation’s coverage.
The exact scope and implementation of Trump’s announcement remained unclear. Reports indicated that journalists from some of the affected organisations were still present on White House grounds after the announcement, while the administration had not provided detailed procedures for implementing the ban.
The announcement could also face a legal challenge because previous disputes between the Trump administration and journalists have reached the courts.
During Trump’s first administration, CNN reporter Jim Acosta temporarily lost his White House press credentials before a court ordered that they be restored. More recently, the Associated Press challenged restrictions imposed by the White House after the organisation declined to adopt the administration’s preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.
The latest move therefore adds another dispute between Trump’s administration and major news organisations over White House press access and the limits of presidential authority over media coverage.
Trump has indicated that additional news organisations could be targeted, but no further outlets had been formally included in the announcement as of Friday.
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