US President Donald Trump has announced that he is "immediately" banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, the latest twist in his fraught relationship with media outlets. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said that the outlets "constantly write or report fiction or lies" about his administration, although he provided no examples.
Trump later called it a "very simple ban", but did not explain how it would work. It is unclear whether employees of those outlets would be prevented from entering the White House grounds.
CNN swiftly slammed the move as an "illegal assault" on American press freedoms. The move by Trump is likely to be met with legal challenges.
Reporters from both Politico and CNN were still on the White House grounds shortly after the announcement was made. A crew from CNN was also travelling with Vice-President JD Vance to and from an event in Iowa.
In a statement, the network called a potential ban illegal and said it "stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting"." We have a right under the US Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government," the CNN statement said.
" Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right." Politico also released a statement, saying it would "continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones."
We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them." MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, declined to comment.
Trump had said in his post: " Media outlets shouldn't be able 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. Other news outlets to follow."
The post did not mention specific stories or reporting that prompted the move. Asked by a reporter what he meant by others to come, Trump responded: " Others to come in terms of fake news?
Well, you know, the New York Times is fake news, the Washington Post is fake news." The White House Correspondents' Association President Jacqui Heinrich said it stood in "defence" of its colleagues who were "being singled out for doing their jobs"."
This is about more than the rights of journalists," Heinrich, who works for Fox News, also said. " It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation's highest office."
