Mamdani confronts Trump with ‘all the members of the press’, hours after CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue over White House ban

On Monday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at the city's Gracie Mansion. Mamdani expressed his intention to welcome all journalists to the outdoor area of Gracie Mansion, in contrast to President Trump's recent ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House grounds. The three media outlets had filed a joint lawsuit the previous day, arguing that the ban constituted viewpoint discrimination and breached their due-process rights.

Other news networks declined to participate in White House media pool coverage on that day, in solidarity with CNN. This is not President Trump's first attempt to limit press access; in 2018, he revoked then-CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press pass, and in February 2025, barred the Associated Press from the Oval Office over their refusal to use the term "Gulf of America."

Trump jokingly claimed that the press would never boycott him and continued to label the three outlets as "fake news." During their conversation, Mamdani and Trump discussed the possibility of restoring Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants. Mamdani emphasized the economic and humanitarian concerns raised by various stakeholders, including pastors, developers, healthcare and hospitality executives.

Trump stated that he has the power to grant or deny stability for individuals who have established lives in New York. TPS status has been granted to Haitian nationals since the 2010 earthquake, but it was recently terminated by then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who claimed that the administration was "returning TPS to its original status: temporary."

TPS holders, who are unable to obtain permanent residency, have faced significant challenges, including the loss of work authorization for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants in New York City.