Trump Says He’s Banning 3 News Outlets From White House ‘Effective Immediately’; CNN, MS NOW and Politico Among Those Named

President Donald Trump says three major news outlets are no longer welcome at the White House.

Trump made the announcement Friday, Sept. 18, stating that he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico “effective immediately,” citing their coverage of his administration.

Why Did Trump Ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico From the White House?

Trump announced the decision in a post on Truth Social, the social media platform launched by Trump Media & Technology Group in 2022.

In the post, Trump accused CNN, MS NOW and Politico of repeatedly publishing false information about him and his administration. He also suggested that additional news organizations could face similar restrictions.

Click here to view the post.

When reporters later asked Trump whether a particular story prompted Friday’s announcement, he said there was “no reason” tied to a specific report.

“It’s really just cumulative stories over the last few years. You get sick of it,” Trump said.

Trump also denied that he was trying to intimidate the press when questioned by White House Correspondent Catherine Lucey.

What Does Trump’s White House Media Ban Mean?

Trump said the ban was “effective immediately,” but the White House had not initially explained exactly how the restrictions would be implemented. Trump later said he did not want the three outlets in the Oval Office.

Despite the announcement, CNN journalists remained at the White House and continued working Friday afternoon, according to CNN’s chief media analyst Brian Stelter.

How Did CNN Respond to Trump’s Ban?

CNN pushed back against Trump’s announcement in a newly released statement.

“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network said. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.”

CNN added that if the threatened ban is implemented, the network would consider it “an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”

The announcement also drew criticism from First Amendment advocates.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said in a statement that if Trump intends to remove the organizations from the White House press pool, “his action is doubly unconstitutional because the press pool is a ‘public forum’ under the First Amendment.”

Click here for the full statement.

MS NOW and Politico had not publicly responded as of 5:30 p.m. ET Friday.

It remains unclear when—or exactly how—the restrictions on CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be enforced.