Trump says he is banning CNN and other news outlets from the White House

Washington: Donald Trump said he was banning cable news channel CNN and two other prominent US media outlets from the White House because of what he referred to as their “constant ‘reporting’ fake news”.

The US president made the declaration on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday afternoon (Saturday morning AEST). He said MS-NOW, formerly known as MSNBC, was also banned, along with politics-focused news outlet Politico – which has just launched an Australian division.

“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,” Trump wrote.

He said the ban would be effective immediately. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”

The announcement is an extraordinary escalation of Trump’s long-standing animosity towards the media and outlets that report factual stories he does not like.

It was not immediately clear exactly what Trump’s directive meant, as there are various levels of access that reporters have to the White House and the president.

Journalists are issued passes for the White House grounds, but that does not guarantee access to the “pool” - a smaller, rotating group of reporters that are allowed inside the Oval Office.

CNN’s Kristen Holmes was still present and reporting from the White House on Friday afternoon.

Asked for clarification at a news conference in the Oval Office, Trump said: “I don’t want them in my office, I don’t want them here. The ban would go as far as you can.”

Trump suggested there was no particular trigger for his decision to ban the three outlets now. “It’s really just cumulative stories over the last few years,” he said. “They purposefully write negative news, and they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration.”

The president went on to cite his election victory and wins in all seven swing states, and suggested the banned outlets did not extend him enough praise.

“I won [in] a landslide and I don’t get fair press. I get it from Breitbart, I get it a little bit from Fox [News]. What I do ask is just a semblance of truth … everything’s been a victory. It has all been a victory.”

At one point, Trump was confused when a reporter attempted to ask him about the ban. “When you say ‘the ban’, which ban? Do you know how many bans I’m involved in?” he said. He later acknowledged: “Oh, the ban on the free press, right?”

In his first term, Trump attempted to ban a CNN reporter, Jim Acosta, by revoking his White House pass. CNN succeeded in having it restored via a legal challenge.

But in Trump’s second term, the White House has taken more control of the daily press pool, giving space to smaller, “new media” outlets that are typically conservative or even far-right.

The White House Correspondents’ Association has traditionally managed the pool. WHCA president Jacqui Heinrich, who is from Fox News, said the group stood in defence of its colleagues at CNN, MS-NOW and Politico, who were being “singled out for doing their jobs”.

“The Constitution protects the freedom of the press from government interference,” Heinrich said. “That protection does not depend on whether the president likes a news organisation’s coverage, agrees with its reporting, or approves of the questions its journalists ask.

“This is about more than the rights of journalists. It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office.”

Founded in 1980, CNN provides close coverage of US politics, with several prominent reporters ordinarily based at the White House. Owned by Warner Bros Discovery, it is set to be sold to David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance as part of a $US110 billion ($154b) merger, though Paramount recently said selling the channel was an option to resolve market concentration issues in the deal.

Trump has frequently targeted CNN for its coverage of his war against Iran and other matters. He has directed many attacks at high-profile anchor Kaitlan Collins, whom he called “very dumb and unhappy” last week. He regularly accuses her of failing to smile sufficiently.

Politico’s inclusion on the banned list was surprising given it is not a regular Trump target. In his Truth Social post, he dredged up an old complaint about the outlet receiving $US8 million from the Biden administration, suggesting it was “corruption”. In fact, the money was for subscriptions to Politico’s premium products.

CNN said it stood behind its White House team and its fair and accurate reporting. “We have right under the US Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” the network said.

“Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally protected right.”

There is currently no White House press secretary after Karoline Leavitt departed the role last month. She has not been replaced.

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