MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to ban CNN, Politico, and her own network, arguing that the move backfired because it included too many outlets. Maddow suggested on the "Lovett or Leave It" podcast that Trump’s intention may have been to diffuse attention on her network, but by broadening the ban, he inadvertently unified news organizations against his actions.
Trump had previously banned the three news networks, citing claims of "FAKE NEWS" and labeling them a "threat to our National Security." The ban reportedly reached a fever pitch after his aide, Natalie Harp, showed him videos of MSNBC hosts criticizing his administration. Maddow theorized that Trump avoids focusing too much on her network specifically because he believes doing so would only elevate MSNBC and, consequently, harm him.
"He decides to sort of diffuse the attention on us by bringing in these other news organizations," Maddow said. "But in so doing, he ends up taking the swipe that just seems sort of weird and inchoate, and also very clarifying to the news business that this is the kind of thing that we ought to all stand up against together."
The ban has led to legal challenges, with CNN, MSNBC, and Politico filing a lawsuit claiming the ban is a "direct assault on the First Amendment." Furthermore, other major news outlets, including ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, and NBC News, announced they would not participate in the White House TV press pool in solidarity with the banned organizations.
This unified stance by the press has had tangible consequences. One notable incident occurred during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony on the South Lawn, where footage of the event was released without audio. Even the right-wing outlet Newsmax acknowledged that Trump's ban was "backfiring just a little bit."
Maddow concluded that by including multiple outlets, Trump blunted the intended political impact of his actions and instead galvanized the press to oppose such measures collectively. "So I think it blunted the impact, the positive impact that he wanted politically on his side, and I think it stirred the news organizations of this country to realize that this is something that we actually ought to stand together to fight," she stated.