{
  "id": 9156014,
  "title": "Marco Rubio Defends Trump’s Press Ban in Contentious ‘Today’ Show Interview: ‘We’re Not Closing CNN!’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/marco-rubio-defends-trumps-press-ban-in-contentious-today-show",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-22T15:27:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/politics/marco-rubio-today-show-trump-press-ban-cnn/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Tuesday morning, Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in a heated exchange with \"Today\" show co-host Craig Melvin over President Trump's decision to ban CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from The White House. Rubio vehemently denied that the media outlets had been banned, stating, \"I've got to be honest with you... I watch a lot of American news coverage... and it sounds... for example, like they're rooting for Iran. It sounds like they highlight anything Iran says... and they downplay everything American officials say as wrong.\" Melvin pressed Rubio on why he felt CNN, Politico, and MS NOW were unjustly barred from the White House. Rubio argued, \"We're not closing CNN. What they want is access to the workspace that the president uses. I think The White House feels very strongly that, 'Why should I have people working in my building and in my office that I believe are not honestly covering my administration?' That's how he feels.\"\n\nMelvin then asked Rubio if he would extend the same ban to reporters from Politico, MS NOW, and CNN working in his own traveling pool. Rubio responded, \"We haven't discussed it... This is a decision The White House made about coverage in The White House, but I'll do a press conference today. I imagine there'll be reporters there from every outlet. I don't ask them who they're with.\" He further clarified, \"I don't think The White House is saying they're not able to cover the president. They're going to all write stories and do stories about the president. What he is arguing is, 'Why should I have these people? What right do they have to be embedded in this building?' They can cover The White House. They just can't have a desk there.\" In response to President Trump's announcement on Friday banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from The White House, citing the outlets' \"fake news\" reports, media organizations promptly filed a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday.",
  "summary": "\"They can cover The White House. They just can't have a desk there,\" the Secretary of State tells NBC co-host Craig Melvin The post Marco Rubio Defends Trump’s Press Ban in Contentious ‘Today’ Show Interview: ‘We’re Not Closing CNN!’ appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}