Trump bans CNN, MS Now and Politico from White House

Trump speaks to the press onboard Air Force One in August. Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenTrump speaks to the press onboard Air Force One in August. Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/AFP/Getty ImagesDonald TrumpTrump bans CNN, MS Now and Politico from White HousePresident has overseen an unprecedented restriction of access for major news media since start of second term

In his latest attack on the US constitution’s first amendment and the press, Donald Trump abruptly announced that he is banning outlets CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House over their coverage.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, the US president said he was expelling the news outlets “effective immediately” over what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” and threatened that bans for others outlets could follow.

He went on: “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. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”

Trump defended the ban at an Oval Office event to promote his administration’s healthcare policies.

“I don’t get fair press. I get it from Breitbart. I get it from a little bit from Fox,” Trump told reporters, referring to friendly media outlets. “But what I do ask is just a semblance of truth.”

Reminded by one reporter that every president takes an oath to uphold the constitution, including the first amendment right to free speech, Trump said: “You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news.”

He added: “I don’t think that a court should allow fake news to be written day after day after day. I think that somebody has a right to keep them away if they’re going to write false stories all the time.”

Towards the end of a chaotic news conference, when a reporter asked Trump to explain how his ban on the three outlets would work, the president expressed confusion. “When you say ‘the ban’, which ban? Do you know how many bans I’m involved in?” Trump asked, seeming confused.

After another correspondent rephrased the question, asking, “What do you envision the bans would look like on the media outlets?”

On Friday, the Washington Post reported that more American service members have died in the war on Iran than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed; CNN revealed that an “entirely false” intelligence report about a Chinese ship in the Middle East generated with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) had “almost started a war”; while a Politico report uncovered a Hill investigation after sensitive F-35 fighter jet technology unexpectedly made its way to Hong Kong, possibly giving China access to them.

Trump said his decision to ban the three outlets was unrelated to the stories. “It’s really just cumulative stories over the last few years,” he said, before threatening more media prohibitions could follow.