Trump Announces Ban On MSNOW, CNN, And Politico From White House: President Suggests More News Outlets Could Be Banned As Well

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, an unprecedented escalation in his administration’s ongoing war with the press.

In a morning post on Truth Social, Trump declared the ban effective immediately, accusing the targeted outlets of fabricating “fiction and lies.” Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later in the day, Trump signaled that the restrictions could expand, stating, “I would say the ban would go as far as you can.”

In a publicly released statement, POLITICO said the outlet “will 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.”

“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting. We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” CNN said in a statement. “Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”

MS NOW declined to publicly comment.

Confusion Over Enforcement

Despite the sweeping decree, immediate questions arose regarding how the ban would be logistically enforced. Shortly after the announcement, journalists from the affected outlets reported that they remained on the White House grounds and were continuing their coverage as usual.

Press freedom advocates and legal experts quickly condemned the move, calling it a flagrant violation of the First Amendment. In a public statement, CNN defended its reporting and characterized the directive as “an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.” Legal analysts expect the media organizations to file immediate court challenges, citing a clear case of government viewpoint discrimination.

A Pattern of Press Restrictions

The announcement marks the sharpest crackdown on White House media access to date, building on a series of restrictive press policies implemented during Trump’s second term:

The Associated Press Ban: In February 2025, the administration banned The Associated Press from Air Force One and Oval Office pool events after the outlet refused a directive to use the phrase “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” That ban remains the subject of an active federal lawsuit.

Pentagon Press Standby: Earlier in the administration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attempted to enforce strict media access agreements at the Pentagon. The move prompted a mass walkout by the press corps and was ultimately blocked by a federal judge who ruled the policy unconstitutional.

Pool Rotation Takeover: The White House previously stripped the White House Correspondents’ Association of its traditional authority to manage the daily press pool rotation, transferring that power directly to administration officials.

As of Friday afternoon, the White House Press Office had not issued formal guidance on how it intends to restrict the credentials of the banned organizations moving forward.