President Donald Trump said Friday he is barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he called years of false reporting about his administration, while warning that The New York Times, The Washington Post and other news organizations could be next.
Trump announced the move on Truth Social, calling it effective immediately, although reporters for the three organizations remained on White House grounds Friday afternoon. A senior White House official later told Fox News that the outlets were being informed their journalists would no longer be allowed onto the grounds beginning Saturday. The administration had not publicly detailed whether the restrictions would also cover the briefing room, press pool, Air Force One or other presidential events.
“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them ‘alive.’ Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” Trump wrote.
He continued: “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. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Speaking later in the Oval Office, Trump said the decision was based on what he described as the organizations’ cumulative coverage rather than a single report. “You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news,” he told reporters. “You get sick of it.” Trump described the policy as “a very simple ban,” adding, “I don’t want them in my office. I don’t want them here. I would say the ban would go as far as you can. And if they could straighten themselves out, I’d love it.”
Asked whether the restriction would withstand a legal challenge, Trump said, “I don’t think that a court should allow fake news to be written day after day after day.” He argued that he was not required to admit the organizations into “the people’s house” and, when asked what other news organizations could face similar restrictions, named The New York Times and The Washington Post.
CNN and Politico quickly challenged the move on First Amendment grounds. “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, calling the threatened ban “an illegal assault” on a constitutionally protected right. Politico said it “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.”
Politico also disputed Trump’s description of federal payments to the company, saying the claim that it received government subsidies was “false and have been thoroughly debunked.” Federal spending records reviewed by FactCheck.org in 2025 showed that federal agencies under both Democratic and Republican administrations purchased subscriptions and access to Politico Pro. More than $8 million in fiscal 2024 payments were classified as contracts for those services rather than grants or subsidies.
MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, did not immediately issue a detailed response. The White House Correspondents’ Association also objected to the restrictions, saying constitutional protections for the press do not turn on whether a president approves of an outlet’s reporting.
The dispute could revive a legal battle over how much discretion the White House has in determining which journalists receive access to presidential events. In 2025, the administration restricted the Associated Press from some events after the organization continued referring to the Gulf of Mexico rather than exclusively using Trump’s preferred name, the Gulf of America.
The AP sued, and U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden initially ruled that the government could not discriminate against the organization because of its editorial viewpoint, ordering the White House to restore access. The administration appealed, and an appeals court later allowed the White House greater control over limited-access presidential events while litigation continued.
Trump has argued that access to the president and White House grounds is a privilege that his administration has authority to regulate. News organizations and press-freedom groups have argued that although the government can impose neutral access rules, it cannot exclude particular journalists or organizations from otherwise open press events because officials object to their coverage.
How broadly the White House applies the new restrictions beginning Saturday — and whether CNN, MS NOW or Politico takes the administration to court — could determine how quickly that dispute returns to the federal judiciary.
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