Trump Says He is Banning CNN, MSNBC, Politico from White House

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is "banning" CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House "effective immediately," citing what he described as "cumulative stories" of fiction and lies in their reporting.

In a social media post, Trump stated that media outlets should not be permitted 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." He suggested that other outlets would follow his lead.

During an event in the Oval Office shortly after his post, Trump told reporters that while he supports a free press, it must also be "fair and honest." He added, "It’s sick. I mean, there's something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stuff. Now, if they want to write them, that's fine. But I don't have to let them into my, into the people's house."

CNN responded with a statement asserting that the network stands by its team's reporting and has a constitutional right to report without government interference. The network stated that any ban would be "an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right."

Politico, in a statement on X, affirmed its commitment to fairly reporting on the White House and vowed to "vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them." The outlet also denied Trump's claim that it received government subsidies, calling the assertion "false and have been thoroughly debunked."

Jacqui Heinrich, President of the White House Correspondents Association, characterized the president's planned action as a "ban on the free press." She emphasized that the issue extends beyond journalists' rights to include the public's right to receive a full and independent account of the activities and decisions of the person holding the nation's highest office.

It remained unclear what the ban would entail in practical terms. Reporters from the targeted outlets were seen continuing their work at the White House on Friday afternoon, and their press passes had not yet been revoked. Trump maintained that he was not attempting to intimidate the press, reiterating his desire for "honest press."

This is not the first time the Trump White House has moved to restrict access for certain media outlets. During Trump's first term, CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press pass was temporarily revoked. CNN subsequently sued, and the White House eventually rescinded the effort. Earlier in the administration, The Associated Press was excluded from the White House press pool after refusing to comply with an edict to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a case that is still subject to litigation.