WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to bar CNN, MSNBC and Politico from the White House, accusing the news organizations of repeatedly publishing what he called “fake news” and warning that more outlets could face similar restrictions.
Trump announced the move on his social media platform, saying he was imposing an immediate ban on the three organizations’ access to the White House because of what he described as their continued publication of false reports.
Speaking later at an event in the Oval Office, Trump elaborated on his remarks, criticizing the three outlets’ coverage and saying that the public was tired of what he characterized as “fake news.”
Referring to CNN, Trump said viewers could recognize what he described as false reporting and linked the network’s coverage to its ratings. He also accused MSNBC and Politico of publishing inaccurate reports.
Trump did not provide details on how the proposed restrictions would be implemented. As of late Friday afternoon, journalists from the three organizations were still present on White House grounds, with no immediate indication that they had been ordered to leave.
The threatened restrictions could raise constitutional and legal questions involving the First Amendment, which protects freedom of the press.
CNN strongly rejected Trump’s threat, saying its White House team would continue to provide what it described as fair and accurate journalism.
“Government interference or obstruction” of its reporting would violate the constitutional rights of the press, CNN said in a statement posted on X, adding that any implementation of the threatened ban would constitute an unlawful infringement of those rights.
Politico also said it would continue to report independently on the current and future White Houses. The organization said it would defend its First Amendment rights against any effort to restrict its ability to report.
MSNBC did not immediately comment on the president’s remarks.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with news organizations over their coverage of his administration, and Friday’s threat represents another escalation in those disputes. However, no immediate enforcement of the proposed restrictions had been reported by the time of publication.
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