United States President Donald Trump has taken the unprecedented step of announcing that several media outlets are to be banned from the White House, “immediately”. On Friday, he took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to announce the ban, citing “reporting FAKE NEWS!” as the reason, with other outlets to follow. Asked by reporters later on Friday what he meant, Trump said: “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 US President banned CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and Politico from reporting from the White House. On Truth Social, he accused the outlets of propagating “fake news”. He added that the outlets “constantly write or report fiction or lies” about the Trump administration, but did not give any examples.
However, a short news conference at the White House on the same day revealed that it was likely a partisan issue, telling reporters the outlets “purposely write negative news” and seek to “diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration. And honestly, we’ve done a fantastic job.” CNN denounced the move, saying it stands behind its White House team and their “fair and accurate reporting”. We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them.” The news outlet’s communications team also pushed back on a separate Trump claim that Politico had received government subsidies, calling it “false” and saying it had “been thoroughly debunked”.
MS NOW did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement. The National Press Club was among several groups that immediately criticised the ban as an attack on the free press. Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said: “These outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public.” White House journalists report on the US president and what he says and does; they question officials at briefings, report on policy, and rotate through the small “press pool” that follows the president into the Oval Office and onto Air Force One.
The First Amendment protects what they publish, so the government can’t censor them or legally penalise them for their reporting. Once press passes are offered, courts have ruled they can’t be denied or revoked arbitrarily. The White House must follow fair standards and give notice and a chance to respond.
On that basis, CNN won a court order in 2018 restoring Jim Acosta’s revoked pass. The ban follows the president’s decision last year to bar reporters from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events in retaliation for the news outlet’s decision not to follow his lead in changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, which lies partially in Mexican and other waters, to the Gulf of America. Throughout his second term, Trump and his administration have attacked certain media outlets in court and through regulatory action.
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