Trump enforces media ban: CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists barred from the White House, badges confiscated

MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said live on air that her White House press badge failed to work when she scanned it at the press entrance on Saturday morning, and a security officer asked her to hand it over. “I asked why I couldn’t enter; he said it was above him,” Gardner said. She added that the MS NOW photographer also had his badge taken.

CNN and Politico confirmed in separate statements that their reporters were also barred from entering White House grounds and had their badges confiscated. This marks the practical enforcement of the ban announced Friday by Trump, who accused all three outlets of persistent “fake news” reporting, without identifying any specific incident or article — according to him, simply “cumulative stories over recent years.”

Reactions were sharp. MS NOW said it “intends to take all necessary steps to protect our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.” CNN called the ban “an unlawful attack” on the constitutional right to report “without government obstruction or interference.” Politico’s global director, Jonathan Greenberger, said the outlet “will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.” The New York Times called the move “another retaliatory and unconstitutional threat.”

A strong legal battle is expected. In the 1977 case “Sherrill v. Knight,” the federal appeals court ruled that the White House cannot arbitrarily deny press badges to reporters because of the content of their reporting, once it has voluntarily opened its doors to the media. In 2018, a federal judge sided with CNN when the Trump administration revoked the credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta. Asked Friday why he thinks the ban will survive in court this time, Trump replied: “We’ll see… it depends on the judge you get, to be honest.”

The White House declined to comment on the enforcement of the ban, referring questions to Trump’s statements. Trump has also said that “other fake media” could follow, naming the New York Times and the Washington Post as examples, without announcing any specific ban against them.

Source: USA Today