WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he's banning reporters from CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House, accusing each of reporting "fiction" and "lies" without identifying the reports that prompted the extraordinary move.
Trump, in a Sept. 18 post on Truth Social, said the White House ban is "effective immediately."
"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 said.
"Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow," he added.
The move comes as Trump's approval rating remains near or at record lows, according to most polls, and as Republican Senate candidates face close midterm races in reliably
red states such as Iowa, Alaska and Kansas.
Trump has long derided reporting he doesn't like as "fake news" and taken aim at individual reporters and media outlets over negative coverage.
Shortly after his return to the White House, Trump had the Associated Press removed from the White House pool, which is given the closest access to the president, over the AP's guidance to continue to refer to the Gulf of Mexico instead of Gulf of America.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he's banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House
