President Donald J. Trump has decided that if he doesn’t like the news, he can try getting rid of the reporters.
Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House [1] “effective immediately,” accusing the three outlets of repeatedly publishing “FAKE NEWS” and “FICTION and LIES.” He also warned that more media organizations could be shown the door.
I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2026 [2]
Trump has been down this road before.
During his first term, his administration revoked CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s White House credential following a contentious 2018 press conference. CNN sued, and a federal judge restored Acosta’s access.
More recently, the Trump administration restricted Associated Press access after the organization declined to adopt “Gulf of America” as its terminology for the Gulf of Mexico. That dispute also landed in federal court and remains tied up in litigation.
Exactly what Friday’s “ban” means in practice remains unclear. For the moment, Trump has issued the eviction notice. Whether the reporters actually have to pack their laptops permanently is another question.
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