Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico barred from White House

MUMBAI: The White House press room has found itself at the centre of another media storm, with US President Donald Trump announcing that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from White House access over what he called “fake news”.

Trump announced the move on Truth Social on Friday, accusing the three organisations of repeatedly publishing what he described as false reports about his administration. He also warned that other media outlets could face similar restrictions.

In his post, Trump specifically criticised Politico over what he described as an $8 million government subscription during Joe Biden’s presidency, calling it an “illegal” payment and alleging corruption. These were Trump’s allegations; no independent finding of wrongdoing was established by the announcement.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later, Trump said there had been no single incident behind the decision. He repeated his criticism of the outlets and suggested that other organisations, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, could also face restrictions.

The practical details of the proposed ban remained unclear. As of Friday afternoon, journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were still on White House grounds and there was no indication that they had been removed.

CNN said it stood behind its White House team and its “fair and accurate reporting”, arguing that the US Constitution protects its ability to cover the White House without government interference. Politico said it would continue covering the administration and would defend its First Amendment rights. MS NOW had not immediately commented.

The announcement has raised questions over the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and of the press. Press freedom organisations and legal commentators have questioned whether restricting White House access based on the content of news coverage would be constitutionally permissible.

The latest clash comes against the backdrop of broader changes to White House media access since Trump returned to office in January 2025. His administration has repeatedly clashed with sections of the White House press corps while expanding access to conservative bloggers, influencers and other media organisations.

In February, the White House announced that it would take control of the presidential press pool, a role historically managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association.

For now, the three outlets remain physically present at the White House despite Trump’s announcement, leaving the scope, implementation and legal consequences of the proposed restrictions still to unfold.