Trump Bans 3 Media Outlets From White House: Free Speech Is On The Struggle Bus

Donald Trump announced Friday afternoon that he was banning three major media outlets from the White House. What set him off—who knows?— but as of Friday night, CNN, MS Now, and Politico no longer have access to1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

“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. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow,” Trump wrote on Truth Social around 3:30 p.m. on Friday. 

CNN reports that on Saturday morning, CNN reporter Betsy Klein was denied access to the White House and had her press pass seized. 

Akayla Gardner, a White House correspondent for MS NOW, was also denied access to the White House, according to the New York 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.” 

CNN reports that a photographer for MS NOW was also denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday morning.

Both outlets released statements defending their reports, AP reports.

“We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account,” CNN’s statement said.

“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW said in a statement released Saturday morning. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”

Politico also released a statement saying the outlet “will 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.”

Both CNN and MS NOW signaled they will take legal action to defend the rights of their reporters, which means they will be suing—who can keep up with all these lawsuits???—to regain access to the White House.

This man has never tread lightly on the U.S. Constitution, but this is egregious, even for him. Allegedly, the First Amendment, which guarantees a free press, is a bedrock of United States law and practice. Certainly, experts note that the president’s action is unconstitutional.

“It’s so much bigger than CNN,” the network’s chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, said. “This is a free speech test in America.”

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