MS NOW says it will defend First Amendment rights after access denied
MS NOW said its journalists were denied entry to the White House on Saturday morning, the first reported enforcement of President Trump’s announced ban on the outlet and two others over their coverage of his administration.
In a segment on MS NOW, White House reporter Akayla Gardner said she tried to scan her badge to enter the White House Saturday morning and it did not work. The reporter said she and a photographer from the news outlet both had their badges taken away from them.
“This is the first action we know of of them actually denying us entry into the White House,” Gardner said.
MS NOW said its journalists were not permitted to access the White House grounds and that the outlet “intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”
Trump said Friday he was banning MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House while criticizing their coverage of his administration. He said the ban would take effect immediately and said he intended to bar other outlets from entry in the future.
The denial comes amid a series of disputes between the Trump administration and individual news organizations. Trump has sued multiple news outlets for defamation, barred Associated Press reporters from the Oval Office and issued subpoenas to reporters.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.