Trump says CNN, Politico and MS NOW face White House ban

Trump names three national outlets

President Donald Trump said Friday afternoon that he was banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from covering the White House.

The announcement named the three national news organizations but did not detail their individual responses. Trump presented the restriction as taking effect at once, while critics described it as a threat against news outlets covering his administration.

The practical effect will depend on how White House officials carry out the announcement. That includes whether officials restrict individual reporters, press credentials or other forms of access used to cover the president and the White House. No election or candidate contest is directly connected to the dispute.

Rebukes focus on press access

First Amendment advocates rebuked Trump’s announcement. Elected Democrats also criticized it, alongside other voices from politics and the media.

The objections put the focus on whether a president should exclude national news organizations from White House coverage. The three named organizations are CNN, the cable news network; Politico, a publication focused on government and politics; and MS NOW, a national news outlet.

The outlets’ own positions are central to what happens next, including whether they challenge any access restrictions or seek changes through White House press procedures. Their specific next steps have not been stated. The White House’s implementation of Trump’s announcement will show what the ban means in practice for each organization’s reporters.