Trump Blocks CNN, MSNOW and Politico from White House: ‘Reporting FAKE NEWS’, ‘Writing Fiction and Lies’ | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday (September 18th) that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House, accusing the three news organizations of repeatedly publishing what he called “fake news”.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform and warned that other media could face similar restrictions.
“I am proud to announce that I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW… and Politico… from the White House effective immediately as a result of their continued ‘reporting’ of FAKE NEWS!” Trump wrote.
The White House did not immediately provide details on how the ban would be implemented or whether it would affect press credentials, briefings, presidential events or the White House press pool.
Trump accuses media of reporting ‘fiction and lies’
Trump did not identify the specific reports that led to the decision. He said news organizations should not be allowed to publish what he considers false information about his administration.
“Media Outlets should not be able to consistently write or report FICTION and LIES when covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
“Other fake news media outlets will follow,” he added.
Later, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump defended his decision, saying he believed the president had the right to exclude sources who “write false stories all the time.”
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First Amendment questions arise
The announcement immediately raised questions about the constitutional limits of the president’s power to restrict access to the White House based on intelligence.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said a ban based on the station’s reporting would be unconstitutional. Its president, Bruce D. Brown, said, “Such a ban would be clearly unconstitutional.”
The First Amendment protects the freedom of the press, but the legal question of access to the White House may involve distinctions between general access to government officials and access to events or spaces with limited capacity.
Trump’s announcement is therefore likely to raise issues of law and freedom of the press.
Trump also took legal action against several other major news organizations during his second term.
In particular, the administration has tightened rules governing which journalists attend press briefings about the president in confined spaces.
Trump threatens another media ban
Trump’s warning that “other Fake News outlets” could follow CNN, MS NOW and Politico adds another dimension to Friday’s announcement.
But he did not specify which organizations could be targeted next, nor did the White House immediately explain how the restrictions would work.
The move marks a further escalation of Trump’s longstanding conflict with news organizations whose coverage he finds unfavorable.
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