Trump bans CNN, MS NOW, Politico from the White House for ‘fake news’

The US president insists media outlets report ‘fiction and lies’ as he enforces new bans on White House access.

US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 18, 2026 [Jim Watson/AFP]

United States President Donald Trump has announced that, effective immediately, CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House.

On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social his displeasure with the media outlets’ coverage of his administration.

“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 wrote.

“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.”

Speaking to reporters later on Friday at the White House, Trump said the outlets “purposely write negative news”.

“You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “They purposely write negative news, and they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration. And honestly, we’ve done a fantastic job.”

Asked why he was taking action now, Trump said it was because of the news organisations’ “cumulative” coverage.

A CNN spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the outlet stood by its reporting.

“We have a right under the US Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government. Should the ban, which President Trump threatened, go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right,” the spokesperson said.

Press freedom groups have slammed the decision as an effort to penalise critical coverage.

“RSF is appalled by Trump’s threat to ban CNN, MSNOW News, and Politico from the White House over coverage he dislikes. Press access is not a privilege for journalists,” the press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders said in a social media post. “It’s a right to ensure the American people can be independently informed. RSF is exploring legal avenues to respond.”

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reported from Washington that Trump’s ban will likely be challenged soon.

“The United States has the First Amendment [of its Constitution] that says the government cannot restrict access to this sort of thing,” he said.

“Other presidents have been angry at press coverage before. Lyndon B Johnson used to rail about it. Richard Nixon wondered whether or not he could ban certain people from the White House as well,” he said. “At every point, they were told it’s not a good look.”

While in office, Trump has repeatedly criticised the press for what he says is unfair coverage and has verbally targeted reporters for their reporting. Following media reports that the war on Iran was straining US munitions stockpiles, Trump berated news outlets that have reported on the issue as “treasonous scum”.

In a statement on Friday, the rights group Amnesty International also accused the Trump administration of attempting to stifle critical reporting.

“President Trump is at it again,” the group said in a social media post.

“The president wants to stifle scrutiny and evade accountability by punishing journalists and silencing media outlets for their coverage of his administration. Attacking freedom of the press and access to information is just one way this administration continues to crack away at the pillars of a free society. The Trump administration must end its attacks against the free press and free expression.”

美国总统坚持要求媒体报道“虚构和谎言”，同时强制执行新的白宫入场禁令。

2026年9月18日，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在华盛顿特区白宫椭圆形办公室。[吉姆·沃森/法新社]

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普宣布，即日起，CNN、MS NOW 和 Politico 被禁止进入白宫。

周五，特朗普在 Truth Social 上发帖表达了他对媒体报道其政府的不满。

“我很荣幸地宣布，即日起，我将禁止假新闻媒体 CNN、MSNOW……和 Politico……进入白宫，因为他们不断‘报道’假新闻！”特朗普写道。

“媒体在报道美国总统、特朗普政府或美国时，不应该肆意编造或报道虚构和谎言。其他假新闻媒体也将受到谴责。”

周五晚些时候，特朗普在白宫对记者说，这些媒体“故意撰写负面新闻”。

“你肯定会厌倦看到和读到假新闻，”他在椭圆形办公室告诉记者。“他们故意编造负面新闻，目的是为了贬低共和党和共和党政府。说实话，我们做得非常出色。”

当被问及为何现在采取行动时，特朗普表示，这是因为新闻机构的“累积性”报道。

CNN发言人告诉半岛电视台，该媒体坚持其报道立场。

发言人表示：“根据美国宪法，我们有权在不受政府阻碍或干预的情况下进行此类报道。如果特朗普总统威胁要实施的禁令真的生效，那将是对这项基本且受宪法保护的权利的非法侵犯。”

新闻自由组织猛烈抨击这一决定，称其意在惩罚批评性报道。

无国界记者组织在社交媒体上发文称：“特朗普威胁要禁止CNN、MSNOW新闻和Politico进入白宫，原因是这些媒体的报道令无国界记者组织感到震惊。新闻自由并非记者的特权，而是确保美国人民能够独立获取信息的权利。无国界记者组织正在探索采取法律途径应对这一威胁。”

半岛电视台记者艾伦·费舍尔从华盛顿报道称，特朗普的禁令很可能很快就会受到挑战。

他说：“美国宪法第一修正案规定，政府不能限制人们获取这类信息。”

“其他总统以前也对媒体报道感到不满。林登·约翰逊就曾对此大发雷霆。理查德·尼克松也曾考虑过是否可以禁止某些人进入白宫，”他说。“但每次他们都被告知这样做有损形象。”

在任期间，特朗普多次批评媒体报道不公，并就记者的报道进行言语攻击。在媒体报道伊朗战争导致美国军火储备紧张后，特朗普斥责报道此事的媒体是“叛国败类”。

人权组织国际特赦组织周五发表声明，指责特朗普政府试图压制批评性报道。

该组织在社交媒体上发帖称：“特朗普总统又来了。”

“总统企图通过惩罚记者和封杀报道其政府的媒体来压制监督、逃避问责。攻击新闻自由和信息获取权只是本届政府持续破坏自由社会支柱的手段之一。特朗普政府必须停止对新闻自由和言论自由的攻击。”