The White House on Saturday denied access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, following through with US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would ban them from the building’s grounds.
All three news outlets separately said their teams’ press passes were confiscated on Saturday morning when their journalists went to the White House. They have signaled that they may contest the ban on the grounds that it conflicts with the US Constitution’s First Amendment protections for free speech and a free press.
A CNN statement on Saturday called the ban “an illegal assault” on its constitutional right to do journalism without interference from the government. In separate statements, MS NOW and Politico said they would “defend our First Amendment rights”.
MS NOW said it intends to “take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”
CNN and MS NOW said they would continue reporting on the Trump administration, and Politico said it stands by its reporters covering the White House.
A social media post by Trump on Friday accused the outlets of “reporting FAKE NEWS” and said that they “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States.”
