President Donald Trump said he is banning news outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, effective immediately, “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
In a Truth Social post Friday, he baselessly accused the three credible news outlets of reporting falsely on him and his administration, but he did not point to specific coverage examples. He also said bans on more outlets will follow.
At a press conference late Friday afternoon, Trump accused the outlets of being “one-sided” and said, “They purposely write negative news. And they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration.”
“Very simple ban: I don’t want them in my office. I don’t want them here. I would say the ban would go as far as you can,” he said, also explicitly referring to it as a “ban on the free press.”
The president also insisted during the press conference that the U.S. is thriving, refusing to contend with polls suggesting everyday Americans are struggling economically, particularly since he chose to start a war with Iran.
Trump said he’s “sick” of critical coverage over the past two years.
After Trump’s announcement, CNN reported that its journalists remained at the White House and that there was “no indication” Trump had taken any steps to put the supposed ban in place.
In a statement, CNN said it stands behind its “fair and accurate” reporting.
“We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” CNN said, adding that the ban would be an illegal assault on press freedom if enacted.
Trump’s move is his latest attack on the free press, which is likened to the fourth pillar of democracy because it holds the government accountable and keeps the public informed.
The ban follows an instance earlier this year in which the Pentagon banned journalists who did not comply with new rules.
The White House also previously attempted to ban The Associated Press from accessing the White House for coverage. However, a judge ruled that blocking select journalists over their reporting violated the First Amendment.
Late last year, the Trump administration launched a “media offender” website to counter reports and name an offender of the week. The site lists many major news organizations, including ABC News, Fox News and The Washington Post.
And the Federal Communications Commission, run by Trump crony Brendan Carr, has gone after several news organizations, including ABC, CBS and NBC.
Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said a ban of this nature would be unconstitutional.
“The First Amendment is clear that once the White House invites in some journalists, it can’t ban others because it doesn’t like their reporting,” Brown said in a statement. “This is textbook viewpoint discrimination and will be quickly struck down by the courts if challenged.”
CNN and Politico did not immediately reply to HuffPost’s request for comment. MS NOW declined to comment.