Trump Announces White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico Over Coverage He Calls “Fake News”

President Donald Trump says three major news organizations will be barred from the White House because of their reporting, escalating a long-running dispute over presidential press access and raising new First Amendment questions.

 

 

 

President Donald Trump said Friday that he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the three news organizations of repeatedly publishing what he calls “fake news.”

Trump announced the move on Truth Social on September 18, saying the restriction was effective immediately and warning that additional media organizations could face similar action over their coverage.

Speaking later in the Oval Office, Trump said he did not want the outlets in his office or at the White House and described the proposed restriction as a “very simple ban.”

The president did not explain precisely how the policy would work, which credentials would be revoked, or whether the organizations would be excluded from all White House grounds and presidential events.

As of late Friday afternoon, journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico remained on White House grounds, indicating that the announced restrictions had not yet been fully implemented at that time.

Fox News later reported that a senior White House official said the organizations were being informed that their journalists would no longer be permitted on White House grounds beginning Saturday.

MS NOW is the cable network formerly known as MSNBC. The channel adopted its new name in November 2025 following its corporate separation from NBC News and the creation of Versant.

CNN said it stood behind its White House journalists and their reporting, while Politico said it would continue covering the administration and defend its First Amendment rights against access restrictions.

The White House Correspondents’ Association also criticized the announcement, arguing that constitutional press protections do not depend upon whether the president agrees with an organization’s reporting or questions.

Trump has repeatedly argued that major news organizations publish false or unfair stories about his administration, while the targeted outlets maintain that their journalists are independently reporting on the presidency.

The latest confrontation follows earlier disputes between Trump and news organizations over access, terminology and coverage, including restrictions imposed on Associated Press journalists at some presidential events beginning in 2025.

That dispute followed the AP’s decision to continue using “Gulf of Mexico” in its journalism while also acknowledging Trump’s federal renaming of the body of water as “Gulf of America.”

The AP sued administration officials, and a federal district judge initially ordered the White House to stop excluding the organization from certain limited-access events because of its editorial position.

An appeals court later stayed much of that order while litigation continued, illustrating that legal questions surrounding presidential control of access to tightly restricted spaces remain actively contested.

Older precedent also matters. In Sherrill v. Knight, a federal appeals court held that once White House press facilities exist, credential decisions are subject to constitutional and procedural protections.

Legal experts quoted by several organizations argue that excluding journalists specifically because officials dislike their reporting could face First Amendment challenges, particularly when comparable news organizations continue receiving access.

The administration could emphasize presidential authority over access to sensitive or space-limited areas, an issue that has also featured prominently in the ongoing litigation involving Associated Press access.

Trump also indicated that other organizations could eventually be targeted, criticizing The New York Times and The Washington Post while saying he wants coverage of his administration to be more accurate.

The restrictions could affect more than individual reporters because CNN participates in television pool arrangements used to provide independent coverage when space around the president cannot accommodate the entire press corps.

For now, the confirmed development is that Trump announced restrictions against CNN, MS NOW and Politico because of their coverage, while the precise implementation and potential court response remain unresolved.