US President Donald Trump said Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, escalating his ongoing dispute with major US news organisations.
Trump announced the move on social media, accusing the three outlets of repeatedly reporting what he called “fake news” and saying they should not be allowed to publish what he described as “fiction and lies” about his administration and the United States. He also warned that other media organisations could follow.
Representatives of the three outlets were still seen working at the White House after Trump’s announcement. The White House was informing the organisations that they would be barred from the grounds starting Saturday, according to Fox News, Reuters reported.
Trump later told reporters in the Oval Office that the decision was not prompted by a specific incident but was based on what he described as a pattern of coverage over several years.
When asked which other outlets could face restrictions, Trump mentioned The New York Times and The Washington Post, referring to them as “fake news.”
Legal questions over White House access
The precise scope of the ban was not immediately clear, and its legality could depend on how the administration implements it.
US courts have given presidents considerable discretion over access to limited events, including Oval Office meetings and small press pools. However, broader restrictions on access to generally available White House facilities or press credentials could face challenges under the First Amendment and due-process protections.
The move comes weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, when Republicans are defending narrow majorities in Congress.
FAKE NEWS: “Are you trying to intimidate the press?”@POTUS: “No, I dislike dishonest press — like you. I think you’re terrible. I like to see HONEST press.” https://t.co/H0GMoO7uV5 pic.twitter.com/s5lqTzpKCG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 18, 2026
News outlets push back
CNN said it stood behind its journalists covering the White House and argued that its reporters have a constitutional right to conduct their work without government interference.
“Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally protected right,” CNN said in a statement.
Politico said it would continue reporting on the White House and future administrations and vowed to defend its First Amendment rights. MS NOW declined to comment.
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Press freedom advocates also questioned the legality of the move. Seth Stern of the Freedom of the Press Foundation described the proposed restrictions as a serious First Amendment issue, while Jameel Jaffer of Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute said journalists could not constitutionally be excluded from a public press pool based on their viewpoints.
Trump’s long-running dispute with media
The latest confrontation follows years of tension between Trump and major US news organisations.
During his first presidency, Trump’s administration sought to suspend or revoke the White House press credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta and Playboy correspondent Brian Karem. Federal judges subsequently ordered the credentials restored.
Trump has also repeatedly criticised broadcasters and news programmes that have challenged or mocked him and has pursued lawsuits against several media organisations.
Last year, his administration barred The Associated Press from the White House press pool over the news agency’s refusal to adopt Trump’s preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump’s latest announcement represents another escalation in his longstanding conflict with sections of the US news media, while the exact scope and legal consequences of the proposed restrictions remain to be determined.
