Attorney General Todd Blanche said Donald Trump’s decision to exclude several news organizations from the White House was intended to address what he described as a national security concern linked to inaccurate reporting.
The President recently barred MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House. All three organizations have gone to court in an effort to regain access.
During an appearance on ABC News Sunday, Blanche defended the administration’s claim that the restrictions were connected to national security.
“Our position has been clear from the beginning. What they say is exactly the issue when it comes to national security,” he told Martha Raddatz.
Raddatz then asked him to provide a specific example.
Blanche appeared taken aback by the question. “I’m sorry, wait, give you an example of when CNN doesn’t report accurately?” he said.
“You cannot be asking me that! They don’t even disagree. There’s not even a real dispute that the information coming out of CNN and some of these other networks is wholly and completely, almost 100 percent negative towards the President,” he continued.
Raddatz returned to the ruling by Judge Timothy Kelly, who determined that the White House restrictions were not justified on national security grounds.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Trump administration viewed inaccurate coverage from some major news organizations as a national security concern.
MS NOW, CNN and Politico were barred from the White House and have each pursued legal action to restore their access.
Blanche clashes with Raddatz over Trump press ban
“I’m not going to talk about the specifics of what the judge said; that wouldn’t be right,” Blanche replied.
He said he was instead outlining the government’s position in court, which he argued matched Trump’s repeated claims that persistent misinformation, inaccurate reporting and one-sided coverage from certain outlets could eventually become a national security matter.
“It’s not right for the people of the United States to have to put up with” such reporting, Blanche said.
The exchange grew more heated when Raddatz asked whether the White House might begin screening journalists before they board Air Force One or enter the presidential residence.
“I did not say that! No, no, I did not say that! You don’t get to put words in my mouth!” Blanche responded.
Raddatz acknowledged that Blanche was entitled to push back.
“I’m not defending myself! You said I said something that I didn’t say!” he replied.
Blanche ultimately said news organizations remained free to publish whatever they chose, but argued that access to the White House was not guaranteed.
“When it comes to the White House, it is the people’s house. It is a privilege and not a right to be there,” he said.
Blanche became visibly frustrated when Martha Raddatz asked him to explain how the news organizations posed a security threat.
White House defends Trump’s ban on news outlets
Blanche said Americans should be able to expect news reports to contain “even a whiff of accuracy about what’s actually happening,” adding that the President had the right to criticize coverage he believed failed that standard.
“If that’s not happening, then it is absolutely the president’s duty to make sure that the American people are hearing accurate news,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be good for the president. It doesn’t have to be everything’s positive about what is happening in the administration.”
Trump announced the ban in a fiery social media post last Friday, accusing the organizations of spreading “fake news.” The President was reportedly shown a collection of negative reports from the outlets by aide Natalie Harp shortly before the restrictions were imposed.
Despite a court ruling allowing the outlets to return, a Politico reporter’s credentials were confiscated on Thursday. MS NOW also said one of its reporters had credentials taken and was refused entry.
The three organizations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, and the case moved quickly through the courts.
In a show of solidarity, major broadcasters including Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC—members of the television pool that rotates coverage of presidential events—declined to cover the President in response to the ban.
The White House appeared to reverse course on Thursday, allowing reporters back inside after initially turning them away ahead of the summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“CNN was allowed back into the White House on Thursday at noon,” host Kaitlan Collins wrote on X after the confusion.
Television reporting positions on the White House North Lawn are shown with the West Wing in the background.
Judge orders White House to restore media access
The apparent reopening followed an early Thursday ruling by US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who issued a temporary restraining order requiring the Trump administration to restore access for Politico, CNN and MS NOW.
The order is set to remain in effect for 14 days as the broader legal dispute continues.
EXPLORE MORE: Trump Set a Trap for Fox News, Former Anchor Melissa Francis Says Ex-Colleagues Fell Into It
During the hearing, Kelly signaled skepticism about the decision to remove access from selected journalists. He said the White House had not provided the organizations with “constitutionally adequate due process.”
Ted Boutrous, the attorney representing the news outlets, called the decision a major victory for press freedom.
“This is a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law. We greatly appreciate the court’s swift action,” he told CNN.
The White House appeared to anticipate a ruling against it. Trump said Tuesday that he would “probably” allow the banned outlets to return if ordered by the courts.
He also suggested on social media that Kelly was likely to rule in favor of the news organizations.
“They have drawn a great Judge, for them, a man who ruled in favor of Jim Acosta, who now seems to have disappeared from the Planet,” Trump wrote, while promising to appeal the decision.
Trump appointed Kelly to the federal district court in Washington in 2017.
Hours after the administration was ordered to restore access for CNN and MS NOW, both networks said they had been excluded from Trump’s state dinner with Xi Jinping.
A reporter was directed to “talk to Steven,” referring to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung.
CNN and MS NOW denied White House access again
The brief easing of tensions between the White House and the press lasted only a few hours. CNN later reported on air that it had again been denied access as preparations began for the state dinner honoring Xi Jinping.
“CNN was denied access moments ago to cover the guest arrivals for President Trump’s state dinner for Xi Jinping,” Erin Burnett said.
Burnett said White House officials had not confirmed that the ban had been lifted.
She added that it remained unclear when—or whether—CNN would be permitted to resume its White House coverage.
MS NOW senior producer Kyle Griffin also confirmed that his network had been refused entry.
On air, White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López said a staff member told her to “talk to Steven,” an apparent reference to Communications Director Steven Cheung.
The continuing standoff has limited broad television coverage of the meetings, with major broadcasters largely declining to air the events live.
YouTube streams from newer outlets, including the MAGA-friendly network Real America’s Voice, have helped fill the gap.
MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López said a staff member directed her to “talk to Steven,” referring to Communications Director Steven Cheung.
CNN White House correspondent Betsy Klein worked from the White House after briefly regaining access on Thursday.
Trump clashes with reporter over White House press ban
The dispute continued Saturday when MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner asked Trump whether he wanted only supportive outlets included in the press pool.
“No, no, I want real news. Not fake news, like you,” Trump replied.
CNN had been scheduled to cover Trump’s trip to Knoxville, but LindellTV, a station owned by Trump ally Mike Lindell, took its place.
“I love an open, free press. What I don’t like is the fake press, with a group like CNN, with a few people watching, or MSDNC, which they changed I guess to NOW,” Trump said, referring to Gardner’s network, previously known as MSNBC.
“You know why they changed it? Because their ratings are so bad. What I don’t like—wait, wait, quiet,” Trump continued as Gardner challenged him.
“Do you not want tough questions, sir?” she asked.
“What I don’t like is fake news, and they are 100 percent fake news. 100 percent. In two years,” Trump said as Gardner repeated her question.
“In two years I doubt they did one good story and I won the election in a landslide,” he added, appearing to point toward Gardner. “So what we don’t want, is we don’t want fake news!”
Gardner, who was among the journalists turned away by the administration the previous week, later shared a transcript of the exchange on X.
With CNN and MS NOW still facing uncertainty over their credentials, the broadcast tents they once used on White House grounds remain empty and dark. Their correspondents have instead delivered live reports from streets outside the presidential residence.
The White House has not said when the outlets’ press credentials will be formally restored.
