Trump blocks MS NOW, CNN and Politico from White House over 'fake news'

Newyork,UPDATED: Sep 19, 2026 19:28 IST

MS NOW said on Saturday that its journalists were denied access to the White House, a day after US President Donald Trump said he was barring the network, CNN and Politico from the complex over what he called unfavourable coverage and “fake news”. The move sharpens Trump’s long-running efforts to restrict coverage by news organisations he objects to and has become the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States.

In a statement, MS NOW said it stood by its journalists and would defend its rights. There was no immediate word on whether CNN journalists were also being blocked on Saturday morning, while Politico journalists are typically not at the White House on Saturdays.

“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” the network said in a statement on Saturday. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”

MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner said on air on Saturday morning that she was turned away and that her entry badge was confiscated. She said she had passed through two gates, but when she reached the point where her badge had to be scanned, an officer told her it had been disabled and asked her to hand it over. According to Gardner, the officer said the decision “was above him”. She also said an MS NOW producer was able to enter, but a photographer’s badge had also been disabled.

It was not clear on Saturday morning whether CNN journalists were being blocked from the White House grounds. Network correspondents are usually present on weekends when the president is in Washington or at nearby Camp David. Trump is at the presidential retreat in Maryland this weekend.

On Friday, Trump wrote on his social media site that, effective immediately, “I am banning” CNN, MS NOW and Politico “from the White House as a result of their constant reporting: FAKE NEWS!” Minutes later, when asked in the Oval Office to explain the statement, he said: “Because they’re fake news. You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news. When you look at CNN, it’s just fake. That’s why their ratings are no good. When you look at MS NOW , it’s fake news.”

He added: “And when you look at Politico ... the stories they wrote are fake. So there’s a lot of news, and there may be others to join them, and maybe they can get better. But our country has to have honest news.”

In his second term, Trump and his administration have increased pressure on some media outlets through court cases and regulatory action. He has also criticised individual reporters in person and on social media, at times in personal terms. The latest move follows his decision last year to bar Associated Press reporters from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events after the news agency did not follow his lead in changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico. The AP had said it would note, where appropriate, that Trump had ordered it renamed the “Gulf of America”.

For now, MS NOW says its journalists have been blocked from the White House, while the position regarding CNN remained unclear on Saturday and Politico journalists were not usually on site that day.

With PTI Inputs

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