President Donald Trump on Friday said he was banning several media organisations from the White House, accusing them of publishing “fake news” about his administration.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said CNN, MS NOW and Politico would not be allowed in the White House “effective immediately”.
“I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW ... and Politico ... from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ fake news!” he wrote.
“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.”
Mr Trump did not specify the scope of the ban or whether it would affect journalists’ credentials, or their access to the White House grounds and attendance at presidential events.
He said other media organisations would follow.
Asked about the ban in an Oval Office event later on Friday, Mr Trump said media "purposely write negative news".
"They do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration," he said. "It's one-sided. It's never good."
"I don't want them in my office. I don't want them here," he told reporters in the Oval Office.
The move is the latest in Mr Trump’s long-running and often contentious relationship with the news media.
He frequently engages directly with journalists, including taking calls from reporters, while repeatedly attacking other news organisations over their coverage of his administration.that he views as unfavourable.
The issue is critical ahead of the midterm elections, where control of Congress is at stake.
In February 2025, the White House barred Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events typically reserved for the press pool after the news agency declined to adopt Mr Trump’s preferred name, “Gulf of America”, for the Gulf of Mexico.
Media and journalists in the US are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. The AP sued over the restrictions, and a federal judge ruled in its favour. The case is ongoing.
The Trump administration has pursued legal action against CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC News, CBS and The Wall Street Journal. He has sought billions of dollars in damages in lawsuits alleging defamation.
While several cases have been dismissed, ABC News agreed in 2024 to a $15 million settlement.
A year later, CBS parent company Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with former vice president Kamala Harris.
