WASHINGTON, Sept 20: Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied entry to the White House on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump announced a ban on the three news organisations. Their press credentials were disabled or confiscated as the restriction took effect, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump accused the outlets of publishing what he called “fake news” when he announced the ban on Friday. He also said other news organisations could face similar action. The White House has not identified particular reports that prompted the decision, Al Jazeera reported.
Mr Speaker, Either Prove or Apologize!
CNN White House reporter Betsy Klein and MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner said they were turned away. Gardner said an officer took her badge after telling her it had been disabled and that the decision came from above him. An MS NOW photographer’s badge was also disabled.
Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was later refused entry, and the Secret Service confiscated her access pass, the publication said. Politico pledged to defend its right to cover the administration, while MS NOW said it would take steps to protect its journalists’ access and First Amendment rights, Al Jazeera stated.
CNN media analyst Brian Stelter described the move as a threat to press freedom. The White House Correspondents’ Association noted that Trump had called his planned action a “ban on the free press”. It said constitutional protection for journalists does not depend on whether a president likes their coverage.
The dispute follows an earlier clash over White House access. In 2025, the administration restricted Associated Press journalists from certain presidential events after the agency declined to use the administration’s preferred name, “Gulf of America”, for the Gulf of Mexico. The legal fight over those restrictions continues, Al Jazeera reported.
A 1977 federal appeals court ruling could matter if the latest ban reaches court. In Sherrill v Knight, judges held that White House press access could not be denied arbitrarily once facilities had been opened to credentialed journalists.
The ruling also required notice, a chance to respond and a written explanation when credentials were refused, according to Al Jazeera.
It remains unclear whether the three outlets will sue or how a court would apply that ruling to the removal of existing credentials. Press freedom advocates say excluding reporters because of their viewpoints would raise serious constitutional concerns.
For now, journalists assigned to cover the White House have been left outside its gates, Al Jazeera added.
