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

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he is immediately banning news outlets CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, accusing them of reporting fiction and lies about his administration.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump claimed the organizations constantly write or report false information, though he did not cite specific stories or provide examples. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office shortly after, Trump described the measure as a "very simple ban" resulting from "cumulative stories over the last few years," while acknowledging that it could face legal challenges. He added that additional news organizations could be included in the future.

Media Outlets and Press Groups Respond

The targeted news organizations and press freedom advocates swiftly condemned the announcement. CNN called the threatened restriction an "illegal assault" on constitutionally protected press freedoms, stating it stands behind its reporting team. Politico pledged to defend its First Amendment rights while continuing to cover the administration. MS NOW, formerly known as MSNBC, declined to comment.

White House Correspondents' Association President Jacqui Heinrich defended the impacted journalists, asserting that the issue involves the American public's right to receive independent accounts of government activities. Press freedom groups, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, also characterized the action as unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination that is likely to be overturned by the courts.

Ongoing Tension Over Press Access

Despite the announcement, journalists from CNN and Politico remained on White House grounds shortly after the statement was released, and a CNN crew continued traveling with Vice President JD Vance in Iowa. Trump did not detail how the ban would be enforced or whether employees would be denied physical access to the building.

The move follows earlier actions by the Trump administration to alter White House press operations. In February, the White House took control of the presidential press pool from the White House Correspondents' Association and restricted Associated Press journalists over the news agency's use of the term "Gulf of Mexico" rather than "Gulf of America," prompting an ongoing lawsuit by the AP. During his first term, Trump revoked the credentials of a CNN reporter, which were later restored following a court challenge.