US President Donald Trump said Friday that he had banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.” Trump also warned “other outlets” would “follow” but did not specify which.
“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network posted on X. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government. Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”
Politico similarly wrote that it “will continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones. We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them.”
The scope of the ban wasn’t immediately clear. As of shortly after the post, CNN continued to work from the White House, the network reported.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has previously held that once the White House opens general press facilities to journalists, access can’t be denied arbitrarily, and press pass restrictions must come with due process.
A divided appellate court last year said the White House does have broader discretion over which journalists enter restricted spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One. That case, brought by the Associated Press, remains unresolved.
Trump has previously moved to restrict access for reporters and outlets he has clashed with.
In 2018, the White House revoked CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s credential. A federal judge later ordered the pass restored.
Last year, the administration barred the AP from some events because it continued to use “Gulf of Mexico,” sparking the still-pending First Amendment case.
