MS NOW says journalists DENIED access to White House grounds day after Trump promised ban
MS NOW journalists were denied access to the White House grounds after President Trump promised to ban three networks from the building, marking an unprecedented purge of the press.
Trump announced on Truth Social on Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer be allowed at the White House, slamming the outlets as ‘fake news.’
He doubled down on the claim when reporters questioned him in the Oval Office, citing a ‘cumulation of stories over the past few years’ that he got ‘sick of.’
Early on Saturday morning, MS NOW said in a statement that the ban had taken effect and they were not allowed on the grounds.
‘The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,’ the network’s statement said.
‘MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.
‘We stand firmly behind our anchors, our reporters, and our newsroom. We will continue to report on the President, the administration, and the issues that impact the American people.’
The President told reporters on Friday that he wanted the outlets to ‘get better,’ but in the meantime, ‘somebody has got to keep them away.’
President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that the three news outlets published a ‘cumulation of stories over the past few years’ that he got ‘sick of’
MS NOW White House reporter Akayla Gardner was seen reporting outside the White House after being denied entry
Trump addressed the ban during a media briefing on pharmaceutical drug pricing in the Oval Office on Friday. He first announced his decision on Truth Social
‘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,’ he warned in his initial Truth Social post.
MS NOW White House Correspondent Akayla Gardner reported from outside the grounds on Saturday morning and said a security guard told her that her badge was disabled.
‘I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was above him,’ she told viewers.
Gardner added that an MS NOW photographer was also denied access but one of her producer’s badges worked and she was able to get inside.
The President has also threatened that other outlets could be next in the line of fire. He called the New York Times and the Washington Post ‘fake news,’ adding that the papers were ‘crummy.’
‘We’re probably not going to display the paper anymore in the White House. We haven’t taken the step of throwing them out,’ he added.
Reporters were overheard at the White House when the news broke, asking if this was a ‘Trump hissy fit’ or a real decision.
It’s unclear whether CNN reporters were also denied access to the grounds. Politico reporters are typically not at the White House on Saturdays.
Reporters walk near the area known as ‘Pebble Beach’ on the north side of the White House when the news broke that Trump plans to ban several outlets
The President’s decision has been widely condemned across the partisan aisle. Multiple anchors on Fox News, which is typically a favorite network of Trump’s, even slammed the ban as an attack on the press.
Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley called the ban ‘an assault on long-honored principles of a free press,’ while political analyst Guy Benson called it ‘exhausting.’
The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) said banning news outlets infringed on Constitutional rights.
‘This is about more than the rights of journalists. It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office,’ WHCA President and Fox News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said.
‘The WHCA stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MSNOW, and Politico who are being singled out for doing their jobs.’
Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, agreed that the ban was ‘flatly unconstitutional’ and would likely be struck down if challenged in court.
CNN has also been banned from the White House. Their booth is pictured above before the decision was announced
Journalists were seen working at the White House on Friday after Trump announced a ban on three outlets. The decision has been widely condemned across the political spectrum
Politico journalists typically are not at the White House on Saturday. CNN has yet to address whether its reporters were denied access following the ban
Trump previously lashed out at the press back in February of 2025 when he barred AP reporters from White House coverage after the outlet decided not to enact his name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The news organization filed a lawsuit and that case is still pending.
Trump has had a contentious relationship with the media for quite some time, and no outlets have escaped his wrath. He has targeted the Wall Street Journal, the BBC and the New York Times.
Trump has often sparred with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in the Oval Office, calling her questions ‘dumb’ and telling her to ‘smile more.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.
