Donald Trump Says He’s Banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico From the White House ‘Effective Immediately’ Because of ‘Their Constant Fake News’

President Donald Trump said he is immediately banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, slamming the news outlets for their “fake news” reporting.

Free-speech organizations and press groups quickly decried Trump’s announcement, and there are likely to be legal challenges if Trump carries through on the ban.

On Friday afternoon, Trump wrote on social media, “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them ‘alive.’ Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS! 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 added: “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”

In a statement Friday, CNN said, “CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting. We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government. Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”

A Politico spokesman said in a statement, “Politico 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. The claims that Politico received government subsidies are false and have been thoroughly debunked.”

Variety has reached out to MS NOW for comment. The network changed its name from MSNBC earlier this year after separating from NBCUniversal.

In his social media post, Trump did not indicate what triggered his decision to declare that the three news outlets would no longer be welcome at the White House. Variety has asked the White House for clarification.

In comments to reporters in the Oval Office Friday, Trump said his ban was not prompted by any particular story, but spurred by the “cumulative” tone of the coverage — in other words, the president would like to see more positive coverage about him and his administration.

“They purposely write negative news,” Trump said. “And they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration.”

Asked which news outlets Trump may consider banning next from the White House, he cited the New York Times and the Washington Post, saying, “They’re disgusting.”

Trump’s reference to U.S. government subscriptions to Politico is based on data from USAspending.gov, a government website that tracks federal spending, which showed government agencies collectively spent more than $8 million combined in payments for Politico subscriptions and products in 2024, as reported by CBS News.

Among the groups slamming Trump’s purported ban on the three news outlets was the National Press Club.

“Banning news organizations from the White House based on the administration’s disapproval of their coverage is a clear attempt to control which voices are allowed to witness and report on the exercise of presidential power,” National Press Club president Mark Schoeff Jr. said in a statement. “Every American should understand what is at stake. If implemented, this ban would mark an unprecedented assault on press freedom.”

Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), commented, “It’s difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than Trump banning news outlets from the People’s House for criticizing the government. It’s also hard to imagine a dumber move. The historically unpopular president has been retaliating against the press for years, but it hasn’t helped him. The press keeps exposing his corruption and his failures. These outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public.”

Last year, the White House blocked AP staffers from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other areas after the news service continued referring to the body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North America as the Gulf of Mexico, after Trump decreed on his first day back in office in 2025 that henceforth it should be known as the “Gulf of America.” The AP sued over the shoutout, but an appeals court found that the White House’s ban of the news outlet was not a First Amendment violation.

A study released this week by the Pew Research Center found 44% of all U.S. adults say the press has become less free during the second Trump administration, compared with 12% who say it has become more free. Opinions split dramatically based on party affiliation: 72% of Democrats say the press has become less free since Trump’s return to office, compared with 15% of Republicans, according to the study.