Trump Aide's Clips of Critical Coverage Prompted White House Media Purge
Close aide Natalie Harp reportedly showed President Trump unflattering news clips, leading to an immediate ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House press briefings.
President Donald Trump's decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House was reportedly precipitated by close aide Natalie Harp showing him clips of critical news coverage.
Sources familiar with the situation told The Wall Street Journal that Harp presented Trump with unflattering television segments on Friday, escalating his long-standing frustration with media coverage to a "fever pitch." Within hours, the president announced the ban on the three news organizations, accusing them of repeatedly publishing "fiction and lies."
Reporters from the affected outlets were denied access on Saturday, with some reporting their press credentials had been disabled or confiscated. MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner and a cameraman were among those turned away, as were reporters from CNN and Politico, including Betsy Klein and Cheyenne Haslett. These journalists were subsequently forced to report from outside the White House gates.
Trump stated that the decision was not due to a single incident but rather an accumulation of coverage over several years that he had grown "sick of." He suggested that the organizations could be readmitted if their coverage improved. However, some officials within the administration expressed exasperation, questioning the effectiveness of such a ban in generating more favorable coverage.
The president's order surprised many White House officials, though aides quickly moved to implement it. Trump had previously considered broader media restrictions, but advisers had steered him toward more targeted measures, such as limiting access for individual journalists. The ban has drawn condemnation from the targeted organizations, with CNN calling it an "illegal assault" on protected reporting rights and MS NOW vowing to defend its First Amendment rights.
Trump also hinted that the crackdown might extend beyond these three outlets, singling out The New York Times and The Washington Post as "fake news" and "crummy papers," though he noted that outright bans had not yet been implemented for them.
The ban occurred during a period of perceived setbacks for Trump. The Supreme Court blocked his administration's new mail-ballot requirements, and Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh voted to raise interest rates against the president's wishes. The White House is also facing voter concerns about the economy and the conflict in Iran as midterm elections approach.
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer warned that expelling entire news organizations could set a precedent that could be used against conservative media by a future Democratic administration.