Trump bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House over ‘fake news’ claims
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The president said the outlets were reporting “FICTION and LIES” about his administration and suggested other news organizations could face similar restrictions.
President Donald Trump said Friday that he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the news organizations of repeatedly publishing what he called “fake news” about his administration.
Trump announced the move on his social media platform, saying the restrictions were “effective immediately.” Trump wrote that the outlets were being barred “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
“Media 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. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
According to the Associated Press, Trump later addressed the decision while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office during an event focused on health care.
Asked how he justified the move given his oath to uphold the Constitution, Trump responded, “Because they’re fake news.”
When another reporter asked why he was taking the action now, Trump said there was “no reason” for the timing and described the decision as the result of what he called the cumulative effect of coverage over the previous two years.
The White House has not provided details about how the ban will be implemented, according to AP. The move could also affect the traditional television network pool that travels with the president and provides coverage of presidential events.
Trump’s announcement is the latest development in his ongoing disputes with news organizations. In February 2025, his administration barred Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other smaller presidential events after AP declined to adopt the administration’s preferred name, “Gulf of America,” for the Gulf of Mexico. AP sued the administration, and that legal dispute remains ongoing.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press criticized Friday’s announcement. President Bruce D. Brown said, “A ban like this would be flatly unconstitutional,” arguing that the First Amendment limits the government’s ability to exclude journalists based on their coverage.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have not been accused by the administration of any specific legal violation in connection with the ban. The White House has not indicated which, if any, additional outlets could face similar restrictions.
In response, CNN released a statement that read: “CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting. 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.”