US President Donald Trump has announced that he has decided to deny access to the White House to three major media organizations, CNN, MS NOW and Politico, accusing them of reporting what he calls "fake news" about his administration.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the decision was effective immediately and justified it with the way these media outlets have reported on the US president and government.
"I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning the fake news outlets CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House," Trump wrote, warning that similar measures could be taken against other media outlets.
Later, during a statement at the White House, Trump also mentioned The New York Times and The Washington Post as media outlets he considers "fake news," but did not announce a ban on them at that time.
One of Trump's claims is related to Politico. The US president said that the media outlet had received about $8 million from the US government during the Joe Biden administration, calling this suspicious and saying that "it looks like corruption to me."
However, this claim has previously been disputed by US media verification. Official federal spending data shows that US agencies paid more than $8 million for Politico subscriptions and products during fiscal year 2024. The payments included information services and subscriptions, while only a very small portion was directly related to USAID.
Trump did not provide specific examples of the reports he said were lies and fabrications. He linked the decision to what he described as ongoing negative coverage of his administration.
CNN immediately rejected the announcement, stating that it stands behind its White House team and that journalists have a constitutional right to report without government interference. Politico also stated that it would continue to report on the Trump administration and that it would defend its rights under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear how the ban will be implemented. In the moments after the announcement, journalists from some of the affected media outlets continued to work on the White House grounds, and there were no immediate signs of a physical expulsion.
The decision is also expected to face legal challenges. Press freedom organizations and the White House Correspondents' Association have opposed the move, while previous court precedents have placed limits on the government's ability to deny access to journalists because of the content of their reporting.
Trump, however, has left open the possibility of expanding the measure, warning that there may be other media outlets that will be excluded from the White House.
