President Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were banned from the White House, effective immediately. By Saturday morning, reporters from all three organizations were turned away at the White House perimeter.
Reuters reported that press passes for these outlets were disabled or confiscated. By Monday morning, the media companies filed lawsuits against the ban.
A segment of the conservative base welcomed the move, with one individual reposting Trump’s announcement on social media using the phrase “Late but welcome.”
The institutional press has been criticized for years for credibility issues. CNN is frequently labeled grossly unfair, Politico as tendentious, and MS NOW as unwatchable. Reporters are known to make mistakes, protect narratives, follow ideological fashions, and regularly publish inaccurate content. Trump is legally entitled to express such criticisms.
