Trump Tells Reporter Complaining About Media Ban: 'Be Quiet'
The former president, on his way to a college football game, clashed with a reporter who questioned his decision to ban certain news outlets from the White House.
President Donald Trump on Saturday clashed with a reporter who questioned him about the media ban he initiated against several major news outlets, telling her to "be quiet."
Before boarding Air Force One to travel to Tennessee for a college football game, Trump spoke to journalists about barring reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from covering the White House. The decision had drawn backlash, and the three outlets subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. A federal judge later lifted the ban.
MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner asked Trump, "Do you only want outlets that support you to be a part of the press pool?"
"No, no, I want real news. Not fake news, like you," Trump replied. He added, "I love an open, free press. What I don't like is the fake press, with a group like CNN, with a few people watching, or MSDNC, which they changed I guess to NOW."
Trump's exchange with Gardner occurred as she pressed him, "Do you not want tough questions, sir?"
"What I don't like is fake news, and they are 100 percent fake news. 100 percent. In two years," Trump responded. "In two years I doubt they did one good story and I won the election in a landslide. So what we don't want, is we don't want is fake news!"
Gardner, who was one of the reporters initially turned away by the administration, later posted the transcript of their exchange on X.
Trump's comments followed a tirade on Truth Social earlier that morning, where he criticized outlets he dislikes. "Why should perpetrators of FAKE NEWS, like CNN and MSDNC, be allowed access to a very sacred place, the White House? Despite my big Election Win, almost 100% of “TRUMP” coverage is negative, and has been for years!" he posted.
He followed up with another post: "FAKE NEWS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!! IT HAS GONE ON FAR TOO LONG, AT A TREMENDOUS COST TO OUR COUNTRY. President DJT."
After the initial ban on September 18, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico took immediate legal action. Their lawyers argued in a 27-page complaint filed in federal court in Washington that "This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles."
The suit named Trump, chief of staff Susie Wiles, communications director Steven Cheung, and Secret Service director Sean Curran as defendants. It sought a judge's order to block the ban and reinstate the reporters' credentials.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order blocking the ban and ruling that access must be reinstated for the outlets. The order will remain in place for 14 days while the legal proceedings continue. Kelly had expressed skepticism about the decision to revoke access for select journalists, noting the White House did not provide them with "constitutionally adequate due process."
Ted Boutrous, the lawyer representing the news outlets, called the ruling "a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law."
The White House had anticipated the ruling. Trump had admitted on Tuesday that he would "probably" let the banned outlets return if the courts ordered him to do so. He also acknowledged on social media that Kelly would rule in their favor, noting that Kelly was appointed by Trump to the federal district court in Washington in 2017.