Journalists from MS NOW, CNN and Politico were denied entry to the White House on Saturday and had their press passes confiscated, a day after President Donald Trump said he would revoke access to the three networks.
A reporter and a cameraman from MS NOW were not allowed into the White House early in the morning, and their press badges were confiscated by U.S. Secret Service at a security gate outside the West Wing. CNN announced later its White House reporter Betsy Klein was also denied access, and Politico editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger said the same of that news outlet’s White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett.
MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner reported from outside the White House gates on Saturday morning instead. Gardner told MS NOW’s “The Weekend” that she was allowed through the first two gates with no issues, but when she scanned her press badge to enter the grounds, it beeped and she was asked to hand over her badge. An MS NOW producer, however, was still able to enter the White House with her badge, Gardner said.
“Yesterday, our journalists were able to stay here working on the White House grounds,” she said. “This is the first action we know of of them actually denying us entry into the White House.”
“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” said an MS NOW spokesperson. “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.”
“We stand firmly behind our anchors, our reporters, and our newsroom. We will continue to report on the President, the administration, and the issues that impact the American people.”
CNN said in a statement that it will continue to cover the U.S. government “regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and any other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism.”
“We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault on our fundamental right,” CNN said. “We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account, and we will continue to report the actions and processes of this administration without fear or favor.”
The move marks another potential First Amendment test for the Trump administration over its treatment of the press. Courts have previously considered whether the White House may restrict access based on an outlet’s editorial choices, and Trump’s administration has faced legal challenges over press access.
Trump announced his ban against the three news outlets on Truth Social on Friday, accusing them of reporting “fake news” and what he called “FICTION and LIES” about him. He did not cite specific reports that prompted the decision and suggested other news organizations could face similar action.
While taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump reiterated that no single report prompted the move. He pointed to “cumulative stories over the last few years” and accused the outlets, without evidence, of intentionally publishing negative coverage of Republicans and his administration.
Trump also acknowledged he expected court challenges to his ban. “Whether it survives or doesn’t,” Trump said, “I think that somebody has a right to keep them away if they’re going to write false stories all the time.”
The White House previously restricted The Associated Press’ access to government spaces because of the its usage of the term “Gulf of Mexico” instead of “Gulf of America” after Trump sought to rename the international body of water. The AP sued, alleging First Amendment violations, and a federal judge ruled that the White House could not punish the AP for its editorial choices. The administration appealed, and the case is pending.
The administration also excluded a Wall Street Journal reporter from Air Force One in 2025 after objecting to the newspaper’s reporting about Trump and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump’s decision to bar reporters from the White House was widely criticized. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., told MS NOW’s “The Weekend” on Saturday, “It’s very clear that Donald Trump is running the United States like a state-run, controlled authoritarian government.”
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, accused Trump of “North Korea levels of censorship” following the president’s initial announcement on Friday.
Members of the press and First Amendment advocates also condemned the move. The Associated Press and The Washington Post said they stood with the news organizations targeted by Trump.
“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,” White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich, a Fox News reporter, said in a statement.
Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the ban would violate free speech protections against excluding journalists based on their coverage.
“If President Trump means to expel these news organizations from the White House press pool, his action is doubly unconstitutional because the press pool is a ‘public forum’ under the First Amendment, which means the president can’t exclude journalists from it on the basis of their viewpoints,” Jaffer said.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation called the move a “blatant violation of the First Amendment” and accused Trump of retaliating against news organizations for critical coverage.
The Radio Television Digital News Association also criticized the move, with President and CEO Tara Puckey saying restricting access undermines press transparency.
“A press room you get to curate isn’t a press room. It’s a stage,” Puckey said. “Transparency means access for reporters asking tough questions, not simply the ones you like.”
The ban was also poorly received outside media circles. In an interview with MS NOW’s Jacob Soboroff, author Salman Rushdie suggested it was another issue that could impact the midterm elections in November.
“It’s 40 odd days until the people have a right to speak, and and they can use that right and they can, they can make changes in this country which are sorely needed,” Rushdie said.
Lisa Rubin contributed to this report.
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