Three media outlets barred from the White House over 'fake news'
Donald Trump has suggested that more news outlets may be barred from the White House after he announced he was banning Politico, CNN and MS NOW. On Saturday, all three outlets said that the White House confiscated their teams' press passes; they have also hinted at legal action. The ban has come under sharp criticism from press freedom advocates, as Charlotte Hughes explains.
Three major news organizations, CNN, MSNBC, and Politico, were denied entry to the White House on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump announced he was barring them due to unfavorable reporting. Trump's decision marked a significant escalation of his ongoing efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable, both through legal action and administrative measures.
White House reporters from CNN, Betsy Klein, and MSNBC, Akayla Gardner, both announced on live television that their press badges had been deactivated upon arrival at the White House. Politico's White House reporter, Cheyenne Haslett, also reported being denied entry and having her badge confiscated. All three news outlets hinted at legal action, stating they intended to defend their First Amendment rights.
Politico's editor-in-chief, Jonathan Greenberger, emphasized the network's commitment to holding the government accountable, while CNN stated it would not be deterred from its duty to inform the public. MSNBC's President Jacqui Heinrich called on the administration to restore access, warning that the precedent set could be applied to any outlet in the future.
The move follows Trump's previous decision to bar Associated Press reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One, as retaliation for the news outlet's refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." Since taking office, Trump has pursued legal action against various outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC, as well as engaging in a long-standing dispute with ABC over renewal of its broadcast licenses.
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