(AFP) – US President Donald Trump said Friday he was banning news outlets CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House, accusing them of reporting “fiction and lies” about his administration. Trump added that “other Fake News Media Outlets” would face a similar fate but did not specify which ones. The move by Trump, who has long had a fiery relationship with the media, drew immediate accusations that it was unconstitutional and would likely be thrown out by the courts.
“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!” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform. The 80-year-old Republican did not specify what had prompted the move but added that “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.”
Later in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, “I think that somebody has a right to keep them away if they’re going to write false stories all the time.” When asked if any particular stories had sparked the ban, he replied, “It’s really just cumulative stories over the last two years.” “You get sick of it,” he said. “They’re smart people, but they purposely write negative news, and they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration.”
For the time being, journalists for news outlet Politico, and broadcasters CNN and MSNOW—which was until recently known as MSNBC—were still on White House premises following Trump’s announcement. CNN and MSNOW reporters could still be seen broadcasting from their stations on the driveway of the White House. CNN stated that Trump’s plan to ban the outlets from the White House was an “illegal assault” on U.S. press freedom. The network asserted its reporting was “fair and accurate” and protected under the U.S. Constitution, adding that a ban “would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”
Politico vowed Friday to “vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them.” The news outlet also stated that Trump’s claims that it had received government subsidies were false and had been “thoroughly debunked.” Trump and the White House have long been critical of CNN and MSNOW, with the U.S. president frequently sparring with CNN reporters, in particular, during encounters in the Oval Office.
It is extremely rare for U.S. presidents to outright bar news outlets from the White House. However, Trump banned CNN reporter Jim Acosta in his first term, and Richard Nixon put restrictions on The Washington Post over its reporting on the Watergate scandal. In his second term, Trump’s administration has implemented stricter controls on journalists, including taking control over which members of the press can cover events as part of the “pool” admitted to tight spaces such as the Oval Office and Air Force One. Last year, Trump barred The Associated Press from certain events because of the news agency’s decision to continue referring to the “Gulf of Mexico”—and not the “Gulf of America” as decreed by Trump.
Both of Trump’s White House terms have seen him lash out repeatedly at media whose coverage displeases him. Trump has filed multiple defamation suits against news outlets, attacked the press on Truth Social, and verbally assaulted several reporters, notably women. His surprise announcement on Friday comes at a time when his approval ratings are at record lows and his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. The war in Iran and rising prices, particularly at the gas pump, are among the factors that have contributed to his sinking political fortunes.
Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, stated that a ban on the media outlets 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,” Brown said. “This is textbook viewpoint discrimination and will be quickly struck down by the courts if challenged.”
– Danny KEMP
© 2024 AFP
