Donald Trump says he has barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing “fake news.”
Journalists working for the organizations said they were caught off guard and had received no advance warning before the President announced the move on Truth Social.
Later, in the Oval Office, Trump told NBC reporter Kelly O’Donnell that he made the decision because he considers all three outlets to be fake and said their ratings were low.
Regarding Politico, Trump claimed the publication had received $8 million from the Biden administration “to keep them afloat.”
The precise cause of Trump’s online outburst remains unclear.
Asked about the timing in the Oval Office, Trump said there was no single triggering event. Instead, he cited a “cumulation of stories over the past few years” that he had grown “sick of.”
“Maybe they can get better, and we’d like to have them in,” Trump said. “Somebody has got to keep them away.”
“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,” he warned in his initial Truth Social post.
President Donald Trump says he has barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing them of publishing “fake news”
Reporters gather near the area known as “Pebble Beach” on the north side of the White House after news broke that Trump planned to bar several outlets
Arkansas Governor and former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responds to a question about whether she supports Trump’s ban
Trump was then asked which other news organizations could face similar restrictions.
“The New York Times is fake news. Washington Post is fake news. They’re crummy papers. Both doing poorly, by the way,” the President said in the Oval Office.
“We’re probably not going to display the paper anymore in the White House. We haven’t taken the step of throwing them out,” he added.
When the announcement circulated through the White House, reporters were heard asking whether it represented a “Trump hissy fit” or a genuine policy decision.
It remains uncertain how the announcement will affect the organizations’ access to the White House.
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Arkansas Governor and former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked whether she agreed with Trump’s decision.
“Sure,” she replied.
“I think it’s hard for you to argue against a free press when you’re in the Oval Office asking questions of the President of the United States… the President is right to support the First Amendment. But he’s also right to ask that you be honest and fair. That’s not an unreasonable thing to ask,” she said.
Trump has maintained a contentious relationship with the media for years, targeting outlets including the Wall Street Journal, the BBC and The New York Times
The White House ban includes CNN and star reporter Kaitlan Collins, among the outlets Trump says he is barring from the premises
Trump has frequently clashed with CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins in the Oval Office
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement follows Trump’s decision in February last year to bar Associated Press reporters from White House coverage after the organization declined to adopt his preferred name, “Gulf of America.”
The news organization filed a lawsuit, and the case remains pending.
Trump’s relationship with the media has been combative for years, with few major outlets escaping his criticism.
He has also attacked the Wall Street Journal, the BBC and The New York Times.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in the Oval Office, at times calling her questions “dumb” and telling her she should “smile more.”
Right-wing influencer Nick Sortor welcomed the announcement on social media, describing the CNN ban as a positive development that was “LONG overdue.”
Sortor wrote: “Kaitlan Collins in particular is EXTREMELY rude and REGULARLY interrupts President Trump in the Oval Office.”
The decision is likely to prompt legal challenges from the media organizations affected by the White House ban.
Trump attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for the first time this year, delivering a speech that focused on attacking political opponents, making jokes and criticizing the media.
