President Donald Trump announced plans to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
Trump announced the move Friday, Sept. 18, on Truth Social, accusing the three news outlets of repeatedly publishing what he called “fake news” about his administration and the United States. He said the ban would take effect immediately and suggested other news organizations could also be targeted.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump later told reporters that his decision was not prompted by one particular report, but rather what he described as years of negative
coverage and said, “It’s really just cumulative stories over the last few years."
Exactly what the ban would mean, however, remained unclear as of Sept. 18.
When asked how far the restrictions would extend, Trump said he did not want representatives of the organizations in his office or at the White House and said the ban would go “as far as you can.”
Despite Trump's announcement, there were no immediate signs Friday evening that the White House had begun removing reporters or revoking credentials, according to CNN.
CNN reported that some White House staff members were caught off guard by the announcement and journalists from the network continued working from the White House, while another CNN team traveled with Vice President JD Vance as the designated television pool.
“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network said in a statement, adding that it would challenge any restrictions it believes interfere with its First Amendment rights.
Politico also said it would continue covering the White House and would defend its First Amendment rights against efforts to restrict its journalists.
Can Trump ban news outlets from the White House?
Federal courts have previously considered disputes over whether the White House can restrict individual journalists or news organizations from access provided to other members of the press.
As of Friday evening, the administration had not publicly detailed how Trump's announced restrictions on CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be implemented.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: ‘Fiction and lies’: Trump bans CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House
