Trump says he's banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House - USA Today
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he's banning reporters from CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House, accusing each outlet of repeatedly "reporting FAKE NEWS" but not identifying the reports that prompted the extraordinary move.
Trump, in a Sept. 18 post on Truth Social, said the White House ban is "effective immediately," while vowing future bans on other media organizations are coming.
"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 said. "Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow."
The move comes as Trump's approval rating remains near or at record lows, according to most polls, and as Republican face strong headwinds to retain control of Congress in November's midterm elections. Democrats are widely favored to take over the House, while close races in several reliably red states have put the Senate in play, as well.
Representatives of CNN, MSNOW and Politico did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House Correspondents' Association, which represents reporters at the White House, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has long derided reporting he doesn't like as "fake news" and taken aim at individual reporters and media outlets over coverage he deems to be unfair.
Shortly after his return to the White House, Trump had the Associated Press removed from the White House pool, which is given the closest access to the president, after the AP refused to change its guidance to reflect Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Trump in 2025 filed a $15 million defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over the newspaper's coverage of him. In July, the Justice Department subpoenaed several New York Times reporters, seeking to compel them to testify before a grand jury, after the newspaper reported on security concerns with Trump's Qatar-gifted Air Force One. The Justice Department later withdrew the subpoenas.
