President Donald Trump says CNN, MSNOW and Politico have been barred from the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing what he describes as “fake news.”
Reporters representing the organizations said they were caught off guard, claiming they received no advance notice of the White House decision.
Asked about the announcement by NBC reporter Kelly O’Donnell in the Oval Office, Trump said he acted because he considers the three outlets to be “fake,” pointed to their low ratings and criticized Politico over an alleged $8 million payment from the Biden administration that he said helped keep the publication operating.
The immediate trigger for Trump’s online announcement was not clear.
Later, Trump said in the Oval Office that there was no single event behind the timing. Instead, he described the move as the result of an accumulation of stories published over several years—coverage he said he had grown tired of.
“Maybe they can get better and we’d like to have them in,” Trump said. “Somebody’s got to keep them away.”
In his initial Truth Social post, Trump warned that media organizations should not be allowed to repeatedly publish what he called “fiction and lies” while covering the president, his administration or the United States. He also suggested that other outlets could face similar action.
As word spread through the White House, reporters were heard questioning whether the announcement represented a genuine policy decision or simply another angry reaction from Trump.
It remains uncertain how the reported ban will affect the outlets’ future access to the White House.
President Donald Trump says CNN, MSNOW and Politico have been barred from the White House, accusing them of publishing “fake news”
Reporters gather near the area known as “Pebble Beach” on the north side of the White House after news broke that Trump planned to restrict access for several outlets
Arkansas Gov. and former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responds to a reporter’s question about whether she supports Trump’s decision to bar the outlets
Arkansas Gov. and former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked by a White House reporter whether she agreed with Trump’s decision.
“Sure,” she replied.
Sanders said it was difficult to argue against a free press while questioning the president in the Oval Office. At the same time, she said Trump was right to defend the First Amendment while also demanding that reporters be honest and fair—an expectation she characterized as reasonable.
The White House was contacted for comment but had not immediately responded.
The latest dispute follows Trump’s decision in February of last year to restrict Associated Press reporters from White House coverage after the news organization declined to adopt his preferred renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
The Associated Press sued over the restrictions, and the case remains pending.
Trump’s relationship with the news media has remained deeply contentious for years, with numerous organizations coming under fire from the president.
Among the outlets he has criticized are The Wall Street Journal, the BBC and The New York Times.
He has often sparred with CNN’s Kaitlin Collins in the oval office, saying her questions were ‘dumb’ and that she should ‘smile more.’
President Donald Trump just posted on Truth Social saying he is banning ‘Fake News CNN, MSNOW and Politico’ from the White House, ‘as a result of their constant reporting fake news’
The White House ban includes CNN and their star reporter Kaitlan Collins, among other outlets the President says he is barring from the White House
Trump has had a contentious relationship with the media for quite some time, with no outlets escaping his wrath. He has targeted the Wall Street Journal, the BBC and the New York Times. He has often sparred with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in the Oval Office
Right-wing influencer Nick Sortor posted on social media after the update saying the CNN ban was a positive development because it ‘was LONG overdue.’
Sortor wrote: ‘Kaitlan Collins in particular is EXTREMELY rude and REGULARLY interrupts President Trump in the Oval Office.’
This decision from President Trump will likely face legal challenges from the media organizations that are involved in the White House ban.
President Trump attended the White House Correspondents Dinner for the first time this year, and gave a speech that focused on attacking his political opponents, making jokes and taking shots at the media.
