Trump bans CNN, MS Now, Politico from White House, warns that more outlets could be excluded

President Donald Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico will not have access to the White House. The president shared the news on his Truth Social account, where he accused the aforementioned media outlets of publishing false information about his administration and himself.

"I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!" wrote Trump on Friday afternoon.

"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," he added.

Later, the president answered questions in the Oval Office, where he explained that the decision was not in response to a specific publication, but rather to what he described as a body of reports published by those outlets over the past few years. He also mentioned The New York Times and The Washington Post among the media outlets with which he has disagreements and left open the possibility of taking similar measures against others.

Here's how CNN and Politico reacted to Trump's announcement

Two of the three affected media outlets responded to Trump's announcement and stated that they will continue to cover the administration. MS Now has not yet issued a statement on the matter.

In a statement, Politico stated that the outlet "will continue to report impartially on this White House and future ones. We will vigorously defend our rights protected by the First Amendment against any attempt to restrict them."

For its part, also in a statement, CNN noted that it "fully supports our White House team and its impartial and accurate coverage."

"We have the right, under the U.S. Constitution, to provide that coverage without hindrance or interference from the government. If the ban threatened by President Trump were to be carried out, it would constitute an illegal attack on that fundamental, constitutionally protected right," it added.

Fox News contributors question Trump's decision

The announcement also sparked reactions among Fox News contributors and analysts, including some who have previously criticized other media outlets' coverage of Trump.

Fox News White House correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), Jacqui Heinrich, posted a message on social media in which she questioned the Trump administration's decision: "The Constitution protects the freedom of the press from government interference. That protection does not depend on whether the president likes a news organization’s coverage, agrees with its reporting, or approves of the questions its journalists ask."

"This is about more than the rights of journalists. It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office," she added.

John Roberts, co-host of "America Reports" on Fox News, noted that he does not expect the ban to last long: "[Barack] Obama tried to exclude Fox from certain White House access back in 2009. Lasted about a half a heartbeat. I expect this one will too."

Another figure in the conservative media to weigh in on the matter was Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for President George W. Bush and a Fox News contributor. Although he agreed with Trump regarding the coverage about him and the White House, he disagreed on the final decision. 

"Banning them from the WH is not the solution. Open the pool and the briefing room to conservatives. Challenge liberal reporters. Argue and defeat them. Don’t ban them. Or one day they’ll ban us."

Jonathan Turley, a Fox News contributor, also questioned Trump's decision and argued that barring certain media outlets from the White House was not the right response. Brit Hume, the network's chief political analyst, agreed with Turley and stated that if the president believes the measure will result in more favorable coverage, "he's dreaming."