Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied access to the White House after President Trump called the news organizations “fake news.”
Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico have been barred from the White House and their press credentials have been revoked or confiscated as President Donald Trump’s ban on three news organizations went into effect.
Journalists were denied access to the White House on Saturday after President Trump announced Friday that he would ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House for reporting what he called “fake news.” President Trump said other media outlets could also face bans.
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CNN White House correspondent Betsy Cline and MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner both reported on air that they were denied access. Gardner said the officer confiscated his badge after he told him it had been deactivated and that the decision was “not his.” MS NOW photographers also had their badges revoked, she said.
Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was then turned away, with Politico announcing that the Secret Service had denied her admission and confiscated her pass to the White House.
“A few minutes ago, our colleague Cheyenne Haslett tried to enter the White House to do her job as a POLITICO reporter,” the news outlet reported. “The Secret Service denied her entry to the facility and confiscated the pass that would have given her access to the White House.”
“We support her and all the reporters here covering the White House,” Politico added. “As I said yesterday, we will vigorously defend your First Amendment rights.”
“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made within it are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW said in a statement. “MS NOW will take all steps necessary to protect First Amendment rights and the vital role of independent journalism in our democracy.”
CNN media analyst Brian Stelter said the move was “a direct threat to press freedom in the United States.”
“It’s much bigger than CNN,” Stelter said. “This is a test of free speech in America.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association said Trump had “described his planned actions as a ‘free press ban'” and said constitutional protections for the press do not depend on whether the president approves the press’ reporting.
The ban is the latest in a series of conflicts President Trump has had with news organizations during his first and second terms.
In 2025, the administration restricted AP access to the Oval Office and the president’s travel after the AP refused to adopt the administration’s preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America. The case is still ongoing.
An important precedent is the 1977 Federal Court of Appeals decision in Sherrill v. Knight. The court found that once the White House establishes a news facility for qualified journalists, it cannot deny access for arbitrary or compelling reasons. It also said journalists who are denied certification must be informed of the factual basis, an opportunity to respond, and receive a final written explanation.
It is not yet clear what legal recourse CNN, MS NOW, or Politico may pursue, or how courts will apply Sherrill to the administration’s decision to revoke existing certifications.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reported Friday from Washington, D.C., that President Trump’s ban will likely be challenged soon.
“We have a First Amendment (to the Constitution) that says the government can’t restrict access to this kind of stuff,” he said.
Press freedom advocates are watching closely.
Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said in a news release that the move raises constitutional concerns.
“If President Trump is seeking to ban these news organizations from the White House press pool, his actions are doubly unconstitutional, because the press pool is a ‘public forum’ under the First Amendment, meaning the president cannot exclude journalists from it based on their views,” Jaffer said.
The fight over access could become a broader test of the limits of the White House’s ability to control which journalists can cover the administration.
“It’s hard to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than President Trump banning the press from the House of Representatives for criticizing the government,” said Seth Stern, advocacy director at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. “It’s hard to imagine a more foolish move.”
