President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. He said the ban would take effect immediately. Trump criticized the outlets for what he described as negative reporting and “fake news.”
He also warned that other news outlets might face similar treatment in the future. Trump later criticized The New York Times and The Washington Post while speaking to reporters.
CNN responded by saying it stood fully behind its White House team and their reporting. The network said it considered any effort to block its reporting because of its coverage to be unconstitutional. Politico said it would continue covering the White House and would defend its First Amendment rights. MS NOW had not immediately responded to an Associated Press request for comment.
Legal challenges are possible because the dispute raises First Amendment questions. A 1977 federal appeals court decision found that once the White House creates press facilities for credentialed reporters it cannot deny access based simply on the content of their reporting. The court also said access restrictions must follow due process.
The announcement follows other disputes between the Trump administration and news organizations. Shortly after taking office for his second term, the White House restricted Associated Press access to events including Oval Office meetings and Air Force One after the AP declined to use “Gulf of America” as its sole name for the Gulf of Mexico. The AP said it would continue using the internationally recognized Gulf of Mexico name while noting Trump’s order when appropriate.
The AP filed a lawsuit related to that incident and the case is still pending. A federal district judge ruled that the administration had improperly retaliated against the AP. An appeals court later prevented that ruling from taking effect while the case continued. A three-judge appeals panel heard arguments in the case and had not issued a ruling at the time of the latest AP report.
Trump has also taken legal steps against outlets including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. His $15 billion lawsuit against the Times was dismissed in September 2025 because the original complaint did not comply with federal pleading rules. The judge allowed Trump to file an amended complaint.
A federal judge also dismissed Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch in April 2026. That judge allowed Trump an opportunity to amend the complaint. The cases therefore were dismissed at those stages but the dismissals did not necessarily end the underlying legal disputes.
Democratic leaders responded with criticism of the White House announcement. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called it another attack on First Amendment rights and accused Trump of trying to block journalists whose coverage he dislikes.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation also condemned the decision. Seth Stern of the organization described banning outlets because they criticized the government as a violation of the First Amendment. The National Press Club also criticized the announcement and said governments should not decide press access based on whether officials approve of coverage.
The announcement comes less than two months before the 2026 midterm elections. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in September found Trump's approval rating at 35%. That was up from 33% in an earlier poll but remained near the lowest level of his political career. In the same survey, Democrats led Republicans 44% to 37% when respondents were asked which party they would support in a congressional election. Reuters noted that national generic-ballot polling does not account for the individual state and district contests that determine control of Congress.
During his first term, Trump had previously revoked the White House press credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta. CNN sued the administration in 2018. A federal judge ordered Acosta's credentials restored while the case proceeded and the White House later permanently restored his pass.
The latest ban could disrupt how reporters cover the president through traditional press pools. CNN is part of the television pool that follows the president and provides coverage that can be shared with other outlets. The Associated Press said removing CNN could affect the traditional five-network television pool.
Trump did not explain exactly how he would enforce the new restriction. Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were still on White House grounds late Friday afternoon with no sign that they had been removed.
He made the announcement just before speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during a healthcare event. He was then scheduled to take the press pool to his golf club in Virginia before spending the weekend at Camp David where press access is limited.
Trump said that media outlets should not be allowed to report what he called lies or fiction about the government. He said the country should have what he called “honest news” and suggested additional outlets could face restrictions.
The announcement marks another dispute between Trump and major news organizations. The final scope of the restrictions and whether they will survive a court challenge remain unresolved.