Press in the White House: Trump bans CNN and other US media from the premises

dpa | US President Donald Trump is now banning the renowned TV channel CNN from access to the White House. The broadcaster MS NOW and the news portal “Politico” were also affected by the ban, he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump accused them of spreading fake news. Critics see an attempt at intimidation and an attack on press freedom.

Reporters from these media companies would be excluded from Trump's press conferences and appointments in the Oval Office. CNN is one of the most famous news channels in the world. “Politico” is part of the portfolio of the German media group Axel Springer.

How far-reaching the ban is and whether journalists will no longer be allowed to be on Air Force One on government flights remained unclear. CNN reported on its website that after Trump's announcement, there was initially no sign that his administration had taken action to actually implement it. The CNN team was still at the White House on Friday afternoon.

The news channel MS NOW reported similarly. Reporters were in the White House when Trump published his post. The Trump administration has not yet taken any action, the report said in the afternoon. What exactly prompted Trump's announcement remained unclear.

When Trump was asked a little later at the White House whether his ban would hold up in court, he said: "I don't think a court should allow fake news to be published day after day." In a statement, the broadcaster CNN insisted on its right to freedom of the press and referred to the US Constitution. There should be no interference from the government.

“Politico” in the USA said in response to a dpa request that it would continue to report fairly on the White House. People will vigorously defend their own rights against any attempt to restrict them.

The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), which represents journalists who cover the White House, reacted angrily to Trump's announcement. "This is about more than the rights of journalists. This is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of those who hold the nation's highest office," said WHCA President Jacqui Heinrich.

The media companies are not the first to be affected by bans. At the beginning of his second term in office, which began in January 2025, access to the White House was made more difficult for the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

In his second term in office, Trump is taking increasingly tough action against media outlets he dislikes. He often insults journalists when he doesn't like the questions they ask him. Benevolent reporting, on the other hand, is expressly praised. Trump's popularity ratings are poor just seven weeks before the important general elections. Above all, the slow war in Iran, which Trump actually wanted to limit to a few weeks, has brought him criticism. The Republicans want to defend their majorities in both chambers of parliament, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Trump wrote in his post that media companies should not be allowed to continually write about or spread "FICTION and LIES" when reporting on the President of the United States, the government or the United States of America. The Republican announced that other media companies would follow. He didn't name any names.

Democratic US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on Platform X: “Donald Trump just did what dictators have done throughout history.” At the same time, he reminded Trump: “This is a democracy.” He will not succeed in manipulating news or hiding the truth.

The White House had increasingly allowed right-wing influencers into the group of journalists who had access to the White House. At press conferences held by former government spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, a different medium hand-picked by the White House was allowed to ask the first question. The supposed questions are usually topics that seem to be ordered.

Another tool Trump uses is to sue media companies. The New York Times, the British broadcaster BBC and the US broadcasters CBS and ABC were already affected. Critics see Trump's lawsuits as targeted attempts at intimidation and an attack on press freedom.