Trump Tells CNN Reporter 'You Should Not Be Here' at UN

On a day of high-stakes diplomacy at the United Nations, President Donald Trump encountered CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins and told her, "You should not be here." Trump's remark came as he entered U.N. doors Tuesday ahead of his speech to the General Assembly.

Collins later noted on air that CNN had not stated it would not cover the president. The administration had banned CNN, along with MS NOW and Politico, from White House grounds days earlier, removing the network from pool duty. CNN, however, had been admitted to the U.N. as regularly credentialed media.

The tense exchange underscored the escalating conflict between Trump and news organizations he frequently labels as "fake news."

The ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico was the subject of a joint lawsuit filed Monday by the three outlets. They are asking a judge to declare Trump's action unconstitutional, calling the decision selective and based on the content of their reporting.

Late Tuesday, the administration filed a response urging the court to reject the outlets' request, stating that "access to the White House is a privilege — not a right." The government's filing argued that White House officials possess the authority to control journalists' access to "restricted presidential areas," such as the Oval Office.

"Significantly, Presidents have long decided which journalists should receive privileged access, which has varied substantially by administration," the response read. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Trump doubled down on his remarks Tuesday, suggesting that negative coverage was dangerous for the country. Asked if he would allow the outlets back in if the court ruled against the White House, he responded, "Well, it probably will, because this is a judge who’s not a particularly fair judge." He was referring to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, whom he appointed in 2017 and who previously ordered a CNN journalist’s access restored in a similar case in 2018.

Trump added, "So you never know. I think we have a right to clean out fake news." His comments echoed his earlier statements justifying the ban by citing "purposely negative stories."

The ban and lawsuit are part of a prolonged conflict between Trump and unfavorable media outlets. This friction has manifested in courtroom challenges, regulatory actions, and public criticism of individual reporters.

CNN's Collins stated after her exchange with Trump, "We never said we were not going to cover the president. We will do our best to cover him each and every day."

The White House press schedule issued Tuesday morning notably omitted the U.S. network pool, a deviation from standard practice. CNN had been designated the pool network for Trump's trip to New York, but the ban removed it from these duties.

In solidarity, other pool members agreed not to replace CNN and to suspend all pool coverage until further notice. The Associated Press, along with The Washington Post and The New York Times, decided not to publish photographs of presidential events on Monday.

It remains unclear how long the ban and the collective media actions will persist. While global audiences saw Trump during his speeches and meetings Tuesday through UNTV and pool journalists covering other international leaders, a sign reading "I stand with AP, CNN, MS NOW, Politico" was spotted in the White House workspace.

Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, suggested that the lack of constant coverage could prove damaging to Trump, potentially influencing the duration of the standoff. However, he also noted that in the short term, audiences are unlikely to feel a lasting impact due to the numerous avenues for news consumption. "We are not going to be deprived of important civic information," Thompson said.

Thompson pointed to the absence of clear audio from Trump's remarks during a helipad inauguration on Monday, an event usually captured by TV network crews, as an example of the immediate impact of limited coverage. More significantly, he expressed concern over Trump's characterization of negative media coverage as "dangerous," calling such remarks about fundamental freedoms of the press "a lot more serious."