Trump singles out New York Times, Washington Post as next targets

President Donald Trump on Friday announced he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters from the White House, prompting the targeted outlets and a press-freedom advocacy group to push back. Trump told reporters Friday night that The New York Times and The Washington Post could face similar action, saying “There may be others to join them.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the action against CNN, MS NOW and Politico was “effective immediately” and cited what he called the outlets’ “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.” He wrote that “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America” and added that “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”

CNN said its reporters were still stationed in their White House workspace Friday evening, and it was unclear when the ban would take effect. “CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network said in a statement. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.” CNN added: “Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”

Politico said it would “continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones.” “We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them,” the news outlet said in a statement.

Seth Stern, advocacy chief at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said “it’s difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment.” “It’s also hard to imagine a dumber move,” Stern added in a statement. “The historically unpopular president has been retaliating against the press for years, but it hasn’t helped him. The press keeps exposing his corruption and his failures. These outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public.”

The announcement extends a series of disputes between the Trump administration and individual news organizations. Last year, the administration banned the Associated Press from several events because the outlet continued to use “Gulf of Mexico” instead of the president’s new name for the body of water. In 2018, CNN reporter Jim Acosta lost his White House credential until a federal judge ordered the pass restored.