Trump Says He’s Banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico From the White House

Por Stephen Prager — Truthout

“These outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public,” said one press freedom advocate.

Truthout is an indispensable resource for activists, movement leaders and workers everywhere. Please make this work possible with a quick donation .

In one of his most direct assaults on the First Amendment, President Donald Trump announced in a Friday afternoon tirade that he would ban CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), and Politico from the White House.

“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW … and Politico from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” the president wrote in a rambling Truth Social post.

“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,” he added, though he did not specify any particular reports he objected to. He added that bans on “Other Fake News Media Outlets” would soon follow.

Trump announces he is banning CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House in a blatant violation of the First Amendment of the US Constitution. https://t.co/W0qSqpO2HU

Trump, who has long portrayed himself as a defender of free speech, has taken unprecedented actions to censor news outlets during his second term, including threatening networks’ broadcast licenses through the Federal Communications Commission over unfavorable programming.

As of Friday afternoon, it’s unclear whether Trump actually plans to follow through on his White House ban.

Reacting to the news on the air, CNN anchor Brian Stelter said that the network’s reporting team “remains at the White House working just like a usual normal Friday afternoon.” He added that “right now, there is no indication that the administration is taking any steps to actually follow through on his threat.”

“Certainly, if there is an attempt to remove journalists from the White House, well, our cameras are rolling. I think viewers will see it happen,” he said.

“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network said in a statement following news of the ban. “We have a right under the US Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.”

Stelter: CNN’s team remains at the White House working just like a usual normal Friday afternoon. Right now, there is no indication that the administration is taking any steps to actually follow through on his threat. https://t.co/HfWAVkveuC

Bruce D. Brown, the president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, told Common Dreams in an email Friday that simply banning news organizations from the White House over the content of their reporting “would be flatly unconstitutional.”

“The First Amendment is clear that once the White House invites in some journalists, it can’t ban others because it doesn’t like their reporting,” he said. “This is textbook viewpoint discrimination and will be quickly struck down by the courts if challenged.”

Federal courts have previously struck down attempts by Trump to bar certain press outlets on First Amendment grounds. Last year, a judge ruled that Trump’s removal of the Associated Press from the White House press pool for its refusal to adopt the name “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico was an unconstitutional form of viewpoint discrimination.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s rule banning reporters from obtaining information not authorized by the Pentagon, which led dozens of journalists to turn over their press badges and walk out of the building in protest, was also struck down as a violation of press freedom.

In light of these previous failures, Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, expressed bewilderment that Trump was once again trying to ban news outlets from the White House.

“With so many courts having ruled against him on exactly this point, you’d think President Trump would have learned this lesson by now,” he said in a statement.

Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, agreed it was “difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than Trump banning news outlets from the People’s House for criticizing the government.”

“It’s also hard to imagine a dumber move,” he said. “The historically unpopular president has been retaliating against the press for years, but it hasn’t helped him. The press keeps exposing his corruption and his failures. These outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public.”

He added that the press must “fight back to protect their rights, not only to access the White House but to access the public records and whistleblowers this administration so desperately wants to keep from them.

Trump’s announcement was met with outrage from Democrats in Congress, who described it as an assault on a basic constitutional freedom.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) responded to the news simply by posting the full text of the First Amendment on X.

“Fascist and communist governments limit press access to only favorable outlets, persecute journalists, and suppress truthful reporting,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) in a post to social media. “Trump’s administration is doing all of that.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) agreed the move was “straight out of the authoritarian playbook.”

This September, Truthout is celebrating 25 years of publication. For over two decades, we have been a trusted source for fiercely independent journalism thanks to readers like you.

As we look to the next 25 years, we have launched a special fundraising campaign. Looking to a sustainable future for our publication, we have a fundraising goal of $71,000 in the next 5 days.

We are asking for your support at this juncture because we face greater threats than ever before in our organizational history. Trump and his MAGA allies are determined to control the information ecosystem, and movement-based organizations are subject to dangerous censorship and scrutiny.

If you can support Truthout with a one-time or monthly donation, you will make a significant impact on our work and our legacy. Anything you can do makes a difference!

Stephen Prager is a staff writer for Common Dreams.

Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.

Please make a donation to Truthout during our special 25th anniversary fundraiser. We have 5 days to raise $71,000!

Fonte: Truthout