WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are being banned from the White House, accusing the three news organizations of repeatedly reporting what he calls “fake news.” He later told reporters that other media outlets could also face restrictions.
Trump announced the move on Truth Social and said he did not want the outlets in his office or at the White House. Reuters reported that the decision is likely to face legal scrutiny over First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and the press. CNN, MS NOW, Politico and the National Press Club had not immediately issued responses when Reuters reported the announcement.
The decision marks another confrontation between Trump and the U.S. media. His administration has previously restricted access for individual journalists and news organizations. Last year, the Associated Press was excluded from the regular presidential press pool after declining to adopt Trump’s preferred “Gulf of America” terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.
Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone described the latest action as censorship. The dispute could now move beyond the political arena if the affected organizations challenge the White House restrictions in court.