Trump defends press ban: ‘I don’t have to let them into the people’s house’

  • Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he doesn’t have to let outlets writing “purposely negative stories” into “the people’s house.”
  • White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in an email that senior staff “fully support” Trump’s decision to “hold Fake News accountable for their continued lies.”
  • White House security officers confiscated reporters’ badges on Saturday, enforcing Trump’s Truth Social ban announcement and turning away at least three correspondents from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
  • Most of the White House staff were surprised by the decision, though the press department took it seriously, Politico reported.

White House staff caught off guard by decision, Politico reports

President Donald Trump defended his decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House on Friday, telling reporters in the Oval Office that he doesn’t have to let outlets writing “purposely negative stories” into “the people’s house.”

“There’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories,” Trump said, according to UPI. “Now, if they want to write them, that’s fine, but I don’t have to let them into my — into the people’s house.”

The remarks came the same day Trump announced the ban on Truth Social, citing what he described as the outlets’ “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.” It is unclear what prompted the post.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung wrote in an email to The New York Times on Saturday that senior staff support Trump’s decision. “We all fully support his decision to hold Fake News accountable for their continued lies,” Cheung wrote.

The practical enforcement began Saturday. MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner said her White House-issued badge failed to work, according to The Times. “The officer asked me to hand over my badge; he said that it was disabled,” Gardner said. “I asked why I could not get inside; he said it was above him.”

About an hour later, CNN correspondent Betsy Klein described a similar encounter in an on-air interview. She said a White House security officer she had known for years told her that her badge had been deactivated. “I asked if he had any more details he could share with me,” Klein said. “He said I should be referred to the White House press office for more information.”

Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied access. Politico posted on X that Haslett was turned away by the Secret Service and her pass was taken away.

A White House aide told Politico on Friday that the ban is “real and permanent as far as POTUS is concerned.” Politico also reported that most of the White House staff were surprised by the move, though the press department took it seriously.

Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said the ban would not survive a legal challenge. “A ban like this would be flatly unconstitutional,” Brown said in a statement. “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. This is textbook viewpoint discrimination and will be quickly struck down by the courts if challenged.”

White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich said on X on Saturday that denying access to journalists violates the First Amendment and called on the Trump administration to “immediately restore our colleagues’ access.” “The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably,” Heinrich said in a statement. “That’s why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting.”

The three banned outlets released statements. MS NOW said it “intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.” CNN said the network has a right under the U.S. Constitution to do its reporting without government hindrance and that the ban is “an illegal assault on this fundamental right.” The network added it “will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account, and we will continue to report on the actions and processes of this administration without fear or favor.” Politico said Haslett was turned away by the Secret Service and her pass was taken away, and that Politico stands by her and other White House reporters and will vigorously defend its First Amendment rights.

ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News rotate as the designated TV crew for presidential events, sharing the financial costs of coverage, The Times reported. CNN is scheduled to cover Trump’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

It remained unclear Saturday how the dispute would play out.