Trump’s Ban on 'Fake News' Reporters Becomes Reality Just One Day After Announcement

Immediate Backlash from CNN and MS Now... Potential Legal Battle Ahead

Just one day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that reporters from CNN and other outlets critical of his administration would be banned from entering the White House, journalists from those media organizations were actually denied access.

U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by Yonhap News

According to major foreign media outlets such as The New York Times and the BBC on September 19 (local time), reporters from CNN, MS Now, and Politico were barred from entering the White House that morning. Credentials for White House correspondents including CNN’s Betsy Klein, MS Now’s Akayla Gardner, and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett were deactivated.

The previous day, President Trump claimed that these outlets have published 'fake news' and accused them of deliberately writing negative stories to tarnish the reputation of the Republican Party and his administration, resulting in the ban on their access. In addition, President Trump warned that other media outlets could also be subject to entry bans.

CNN issued a statement declaring President Trump’s action illegal and stated that it would continue to report on the U.S. government "regardless of any attempt to restrict physical access to the White House or other government facilities or to interfere with our reporting activities." The statement continued, "We have the right to report without obstruction or government interference as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution," condemning the move as an illegal attack on that right.

MS Now emphasized that it would "take all necessary measures to defend the rights under the First Amendment and the essential role of independent journalism in a democracy."

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) said, "Today’s revocation of entry credentials for journalists from CNN, Politico, and MS Now is a violation of the First Amendment," and called for the immediate reinstatement of their colleagues' access.

Reporters from the Associated Press have also been barred from reporting in the presidential office and on Air Force One, leading to ongoing legal disputes.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the press, publishing, assembly, and petition, prohibiting any infringement on freedom of expression and the press. Experts on the First Amendment point out that since President Trump directly linked the access ban to the content of these media outlets' reporting, it will likely be difficult to defend if a legal battle ensues. In fact, during his first term, President Trump also banned CNN’s White House correspondent Jim Acosta from entering the White House, but had to reverse the measure after CNN filed a lawsuit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.