WASHINGTON, United States — Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied entry to the White House on Saturday, September 19, 2026, one day after President Donald Trump announced that he was banning the three news organisations.
Security officers deactivated or confiscated credentials belonging to journalists from the outlets, according to the reporters and statements from their employers.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico said they would defend their rights under the First Amendment, with CNN describing the restriction as illegal.
The US President said he was banning the news organisations over coverage he described as “fake” news.
Press Credentials Disabled
CNN reporter Betsy Klein said a United States Secret Service agent told her that her White House press pass had been deactivated when she arrived for work on Saturday morning.
The pass was subsequently taken from her.
Klein said she twice asked why the credential had been disabled. The agent told her he had no further information and directed her to the White House Press Office, she said.
MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner and a photographer working with the network were also denied entry.
Gardner said an officer took her credential after it failed at an access point.
“The officer asked me to hand over my badge,” Gardner said. “He said that it was disabled.”
Gardner said the officer told her the decision was “above him” when she sought an explanation.
A producer who arrived with the MS NOW team scanned her own badge successfully and was allowed onto the grounds, Gardner said.
Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was turned away later in the morning.
Jonathan Greenberger, Politico’s editor-in-chief, confirmed the denial in a message to employees.
Trump Announced Ban a Day Earlier
Trump said on Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were barred from the White House “effective immediately”.
In the announcement, he accused the outlets of reporting what he called “fake” news.
Some White House employees, including members of the communications operation, had not expected the announcement and sought additional details after it was issued, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Journalists from the affected organisations continued working from the White House through Friday evening.
Questions about whether their credentials would remain active were answered when reporters returned on Saturday.
The scope of the restriction was initially unclear, but the access denials confirmed that it was being applied to at least some journalists from all three outlets.
Axios also reported that the White House had barred reporters from the organisations on Saturday morning.
News Organisations Signal Legal Action
CNN said its journalists would continue reporting on the federal government regardless of restrictions on their physical access.
The network said it had a constitutional right to report without government interference and called the ban “an illegal assault on this fundamental right”.
MS NOW said it “intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights” and the role of independent journalism.
The network said it stood behind its journalists and would continue covering Trump, his administration and issues affecting Americans.
Greenberger also told Politico employees that the publication supported Haslett and other White House correspondents.
“We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights,” he said.
Questions Over White House Press Pool
It was not immediately clear how the restriction would affect CNN’s participation in the White House press pool.
CNN is one of five television networks that rotate responsibility for covering the president during travel and events where space is limited.
The designated network shares its reporting and footage with other news organisations.
A CNN team served as the television pool for Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Iowa on Friday.
The network was scheduled to perform the role again on Monday, when Trump was due to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
The five television networks were discussing how to respond, according to two people familiar with the talks.
Press-Freedom Groups Challenge Legality
Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said the exclusion would violate the First Amendment.
“A ban like this would be flatly unconstitutional,” Brown said in an official statement.
Brown said the White House could not admit some journalists while excluding others because officials objected to their reporting.
He described the action as “textbook viewpoint discrimination” and said it would be vulnerable to a court challenge.
Clayton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders North America, also criticised the restrictions.
“Press access is not a privilege for journalists,” Weimers said. “It’s a right to ensure the American people can be independently informed.”
