U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he was immediately barring major media outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing them of spreading what he called “fake news.”
“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 wrote on Truth Social.
Trump said additional media organizations would also face bans but did not identify them.
“Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow,” he wrote.
The move would prevent reporters from the affected outlets from attending White House press conferences and events in the Oval Office.
CNN is one of the world’s best-known news networks. Politico is owned by Axel Springer, a German media conglomerate headquartered in Berlin and New York.
It remained unclear how far-reaching the ban would be and whether journalists would also be barred from government flights aboard Air Force One.
CNN reported that there were initially no signs that the administration had taken steps to implement the ban. Its reporters remained at the White House on Friday afternoon. MS NOW similarly reported that its journalists were still at the White House and that no action had been taken.
The move is likely to face legal challenges, as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of the press.
CNN said it stood fully behind its White House team and its reporting.
“We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” the network said in a statement on X, adding that any ban would violate that constitutionally protected right.
Politico told dpa that it would continue to report fairly on the White House and would vigorously defend its rights against any attempt to restrict them.
The White House Correspondents’ Association, which represents journalists covering the White House, also criticized Trump’s announcement.
“This is about more than the rights of journalists. It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office,” WHCA President Jacqui Heinrich said.
Last year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced new rules for reporters covering the Pentagon, requiring them to sign a document acknowledging restrictions on gathering information that the department had not authorized them to access.
Most major news organizations refused to sign and vacated their desks in the Pentagon’s press room.
Trump also imposed restrictions on the Associated Press over its refusal to use Trump’s preferred name, “Gulf of America,” for the body of water formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico.
In his second term, Trump has repeatedly clashed with media outlets he dislikes. He often insults journalists when he disagrees with their questions, while explicitly praising favorable coverage.
The White House has increasingly allowed conservative influencers into the group of journalists with access to the White House. At news briefings held by then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, a different handpicked outlet was allowed to ask the first question on some occasions. Critics have said the questions sometimes focused on topics that appeared aligned with the administration’s priorities.
Another tactic Trump has used is filing lawsuits against media organizations. The New York Times, the BBC and U.S. broadcasters CBS and ABC have faced legal action. Critics have characterized the lawsuits as attempts at intimidation and attacks on press freedom.
