Journalists from MS NOW, CNN, and Politico have been denied access to the White House, following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ban due to their coverage. This move has been widely condemned as an “illegal assault” on First Amendment rights by the affected news organizations and other media and civil liberties groups.
The White House Correspondents’ Association and the ACLU have stated the ban is unconstitutional, while President Trump defends his action as a response to “fiction and lies” in reporting.
White House Bars MS NOW, CNN, and Politico Journalists Amidst Free Press Concerns
In an unprecedented move, journalists from prominent news organizations MS NOW, CNN, and Politico have been denied access to the White House grounds. This action follows President Donald Trump's public declaration on Friday of a ban against these three outlets due to their coverage of him. The ban, which began on Saturday morning, marks the first time these organizations have been physically barred from entering the White House complex.
Credit: Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images
Mounting Condemnation and Legal Challenges
MS NOW issued a strong statement, asserting that "The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars." The organization declared its intention to "take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy," vowing to continue reporting on the President and his administration.
CNN echoed these sentiments, stating, "CNN's mission to report on the U.S. government will continue regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism." The network characterized the ban as an "illegal assault" on their constitutional right to report without government hindrance.
Politico's editor-in-chief, Jonathan Greenberger, confirmed that their reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied entry and had her pass confiscated. Politico also affirmed its commitment to "vigorously defend our First Amendment rights."
President Trump's Rationale and Historical Precedents
President Trump defended his decision via a Truth Social post, accusing the outlets of writing "FICTION and LIES" about him and the administration. He later stated in the Oval Office that the ban was a response to "cumulative stories" and that "You get sick of it." He also hinted that more outlets could face similar actions.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has clashed with the press. In 2018, a CNN reporter's press pass was briefly suspended, and the White House is currently involved in litigation over an attempted ban of Associated Press journalists from specific government spaces.
Support from Media Organizations and Civil Liberties Groups
The Associated Press expressed its support for the banned outlets, stating, "No news organization — or person — should be retaliated against by the government over the words they use." The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) urged the administration to reinstate the journalists' access, calling the action a violation of the First Amendment. WHCA president Jacqui Heinrich emphasized that "the American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power."
Arthur Spitzer, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), deemed the ban "plainly unconstitutional," arguing that the government cannot "control, or try to control, the news by banning outlets from official events because he doesn't like the way they're reporting on him." The ACLU is involved in a lawsuit concerning the Trump administration's ban of AP journalists.
Despite potential legal challenges, President Trump indicated on Friday that the effort to bar news outlets is worthwhile, stating, "I think it's good to point it out whether it survives or doesn't."
CNBC's Kevin Breuninger and Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
Disclosure: CNBC and MS NOW are divisions of Versant Media.
