Donald Trump announced a White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico on Friday, saying in a Truth Social post that the three outlets are barred effective immediately because of what he called their constant “reporting” of fake news.
Trump wrote that media outlets “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES” when covering him, his administration or the country. He did not point to any specific story. He closed the post with a warning: “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
To understand what a White House ban can mean, it helps to know how reporters get in the door. News organizations assigned to cover the White House hold press credentials that let their journalists into the briefing room, where they question the press secretary and cover announcements. On top of that, a small rotating group of reporters known as the press pool follows Trump into tighter spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One, then shares what they see with every other outlet. Losing that access means an outlet loses the chance to put questions to Trump and his staff face to face. Trump’s post did not say which forms of access the ban covers.
The White House had not responded to requests for comment, and none of the three outlets had issued a statement as of Friday afternoon.
Trump used part of the post to take aim at Politico, claiming the outlet received an “illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription” from the federal government under Joe Biden to keep it “alive.” Federal spending records show that all government agencies combined spent about $8.2 million on Politico subscriptions in 2024. That money paid for Politico Pro and E&E News, paid services that track legislation and policy and are sold to government agencies and corporations alike. Agencies were buying those subscriptions before Biden took office, and Politico has said it has never received government funding. The same claim spread in February 2025, when the White House announced it would cancel the government’s Politico subscriptions.
Trump also said MSNBC changed its name to MS NOW because of a “lack of viewership and credibility.” The network took on the new name as part of Comcast spinning off its cable channels, including MSNBC and CNBC, into a separate company called Versant.
This is not the first time Trump has shut reporters out over their coverage. In February 2025, his White House blocked Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other small events after the AP refused to follow his order to rename the Gulf of Mexico. The AP sued, arguing the government was punishing it for what it chose to publish, and that case is still moving through the courts. During his first term in 2018, the White House pulled the press pass of CNN reporter Jim Acosta after a heated exchange with Trump, and a federal judge ordered it restored after CNN sued.The First Amendment bars the government from punishing the press for what it reports.
A White House ban tied directly to coverage Trump dislikes, announced in his own words, puts that protection to the test again, and his warning that more outlets are next means CNN, MS NOW and Politico may not be the last.
Short Link: https://balleralert.com/o0dy
