President of United States (US) Donald Trump has announced an immediate ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the three news outlets of repeatedly reporting what he described as “fiction and lies” about his administration.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, saying that the outlets were being barred over what he called “FAKE NEWS”. He did not identify any specific reports that prompted the decision.
“Media outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote. He added that “other Fake News Media Outlets” could also be banned.
Trump later described the move as a “very simple ban” but did not explain how it would be implemented or whether reporters working for the three outlets would be prevented from entering White House grounds.
Despite the announcement, reporters from CNN and Politico remained on the White House grounds shortly afterwards. A CNN crew was also travelling with Vice-President JD Vance to and from an event in Iowa.
CNN called the proposed ban an “illegal assault” on press freedoms and said that it would defend its White House team and its reporting.
“We have a right under the US Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” the network said, adding that any move to enforce the ban would be an assault on a right protected by the Constitution.
Politico also rejected the move, saying that it would continue reporting on the current White House as well as future administrations.
“We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them,” the outlet said.
Asked about the decision later in the Oval Office, Trump said there was “no reason” for the announcement. He said that the decision was based on what he described as a pattern of coverage over several years.
“It’s really just cumulative stories over the last few years,” Trump said. “You get sick of it.” Trump also said that other outlets could be added to the list, although he did not identify any.
He acknowledged that the decision could face legal challenges, saying, “I think it’s good to point it out, whether it survives or doesn’t.”
The move adds to a series of clashes between Trump and media organisations since he returned to office in January 2025. He has repeatedly urged broadcasters to drop programmes he dislikes or which have criticised him or his administration.
Last year, Trump barred the Associated Press (AP) from the usual pool of reporters covering his movements after the agency continued using the name “Gulf of Mexico” instead of Trump’s preferred “Gulf of America”.
The Justice Department also withdrew subpoenas in July targeting New York Times (NYT) journalists who had reported on the security of Trump’s presidential aircraft.
Trump has separately filed defamation suits against The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal over their reporting. Earlier cases involving ABC and CBS ended with the broadcasters agreeing to pay $15 million and $16 million respectively.
