Sept. 19 (UPI) — White House reporters had their badges confiscated Saturday after President Donald Trump announced a ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters on Friday.
He said he was making the ban on Truth Social Friday, saying it was because of their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.”
It’s unclear what prompted the post. But Trump told reporters Friday in the Oval Office that he didn’t like how the outlets covered him.
“There’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories,” Trump said. “Now, if they want to write them, that’s fine, but I don’t have to let them into my — into the people’s house.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in an email Saturday that Trump’s senior staff support the move, The New York Times reported.
“We all fully support his decision to hold Fake News accountable for their continued lies,” he wrote.
Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said the ban won’t stand up in court.
“A ban like this would be flatly unconstitutional,” he said in a statement. “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. This is textbook viewpoint discrimination and will be quickly struck down by the courts if challenged.”
MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner said her White House-issued access badge failed to work on Saturday, The Times reported.
“The officer asked me to hand over my badge; he said that it was disabled,” Gardner said. “I asked why I could not get inside; he said it was above him.”
CNN correspondent Betsy Klein described a similar experience about an hour later. She said a White House security officer, whom she has known for years, told her that her badge had been deactivated.
“I asked if he had any more details he could share with me,” Klein said in an on-air interview. “He said I should be referred to the White House press office for more information.”
Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied access.
Politico reported that most of the White House staff were surprised by the move. The press department, however, took it seriously.
“It’s real and permanent as far as POTUS is concerned,” an aide said Friday.
MS NOW made a statement saying its reporters were denied access to the White House.
“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,” the statement said.
CNN said in a statement, “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault on this fundamental right. We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account, and we will continue to report on the actions and processes of this administration without fear or favor.”
Politico also posted a statement on X. It said reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied access by the Secret Service, and her pass was taken away.
“We stand by her and all reporters here covering the White House. … We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights,” the statement said.
White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich said on X Saturday that denying access to journalists violates the First Amendment. She said the Trump administration must “immediately restore our colleagues’ access.”
“The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably,” she said in a statement. “That’s why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting.”
ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News rotate as the designated TV crew for presidential events, sharing the financial costs, The Times reported. CNN is scheduled to cover Trump’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
It’s unclear how this will play out.
Source: U.S. News
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