Reuters: The White House on Saturday denied access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, following through on US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would ban the outlets from the building’s grounds.
All three news organisations said their teams’ press passes were confiscated on Saturday morning when their journalists arrived at the White House. The outlets have indicated they may challenge the ban, arguing that it conflicts with First Amendment protections for free speech and a free press.
CNN called the ban “an illegal assault” on its constitutional right to conduct journalism without government interference. MS NOW and Politico separately said they would defend their First Amendment rights.
MS NOW said it intended to take “any and all steps necessary” to defend its rights and the role of independent journalism in a democracy.
CNN and MS NOW said they would continue reporting on the Trump administration, while Politico said it stood by its reporters covering the White House.
Trump said in a social media post on Friday that the three outlets had been “reporting fake news” and accused them of repeatedly reporting “fiction and lies” while covering the US president.
He added that other “fake news” media outlets could follow.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump was asked which other outlets he had in mind. He cited The New York Times and The Washington Post as examples of “fake news”, although he did not specifically say he would ban either organisation from the White House.
The New York Times called Trump’s latest move “yet another retaliatory and unconstitutional threat” and said it supported the news organisations being targeted.
Trump has previously sought to restrict access for certain news organisations and journalists at White House press events.
Last year, he barred the Associated Press from the pool of reporters covering his movements after the news agency did not adopt Trump’s preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico, following his instruction that the executive branch refer to it as the Gulf of America. The AP has challenged the ban.
During Trump’s first term, the White House sought to revoke or suspend the credentials of Playboy correspondent Brian Karem and CNN journalist Jim Acosta. Federal judges ordered their White House press passes restored.
