In a Truth Social post that used that phrase “fake news” three times, President Donald Trump said he was “proud to announce” that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House “effective immediately.”
“Media outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The president didn’t specify which media outlets were in his crosshairs next, but he has banned them before. In February 2025, Trump banned the Associated Press from the White House for refusing to accept his name change of the Gulf of Mexico. The AP sued on First Amendment grounds and the case is still being litigated, but in the meantime, the outlet’s access has been restored.
On Friday, Trump was asked why he banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico, responding that the new policy was the result of “cumulative stories over the last few years,” according to NBC News, but did not specify any specific news reports.
CNN reported Friday afternoon that “CNN reporters remained seated in their White House workspace near the briefing room.” In a statement shared with Salon, a CNN spokesperson said “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. Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”
Start your day with essential news from Salon.
Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.
Multiple organizations condemned the ban. In a statement, the National Press Club called on Trump to “reverse this declaration immediately,” saying “If implemented, this ban would mark an unprecedented assault on press freedom.”
“It’s difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than Trump banning news outlets from the People’s House for criticizing the government. It’s also hard to imagine a dumber move,” Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement. “The historically unpopular president has been retaliating against the press for years, but it hasn’t helped him. The press keeps exposing his corruption and his failures. These outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public.”
A recent study from Pew Research Center reported that 44% of all U.S. adults say the press has become less free during the second Trump administration compared with 12% who say it has become more free, 26% who say there has been no change, and 17% aren’t sure.
