White House Bars CNN, MS NOW and Politico Reporters After Trump Ban

The White House on Saturday carried out President Donald Trump's threat to bar reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the presidential grounds, after he accused the outlets of publishing false and misleading coverage of his administration.

All three outlets condemned the ban as a violation of the US Constitution and said they would continue covering the government. They are expected to pursue legal action to restore their access.

MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, said on X that the White House belongs to the American people and is funded by taxpayers. CNN said it has a constitutional right to report without government interference and called the ban an illegal assault on that right.

Badges confiscated

Reporters from the affected outlets described discovering Saturday that their access badges no longer worked at the security checkpoints they use daily. Security officials confiscated their passes, with Politico's editor in chief confirming the incident involving the outlet's correspondent.

Trump did not specify what prompted the decision but said Friday that other outlets could face similar bans without naming them. This is not the first time Trump has restricted media access: during his first term he barred a CNN reporter, though a court later overturned that decision. Last year his administration also limited the Associated Press's access to certain events.

The ban comes as Trump's approval ratings sit at record lows and his party faces the risk of losing control of Congress in November's midterm elections. Advocacy group Reporters Without Borders called the move unconstitutional and vowed to pursue legal action.