President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House grounds and the executive branch complex. Trump accused the three news outlets of spreading "fake news," "fiction and lies," and reporting he found objectionable, stating that he had grown sick of their coverage. The 80-year-old Republican further warned that other media outlets could face a similar fate.
On Saturday morning, journalists from the banned outlets were blocked from entering the US president's office and residence. MS NOW reported that a reporter and a cameraman were denied access, while CNN reported that reporter Betsy Klein was also blocked. The US Secret Service confiscated the press passes and badges of the journalists at a security gate outside the West Wing.
The news organizations and press freedom advocacy groups have slammed the move, calling it an illegal assault and a violation of the First Amendment and the US constitution. The outlets have vowed to continue reporting on the US government and are expected to challenge the ban in court. This prohibition is viewed as an escalation of the president's long-running efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable.