MS NOW journalists denied White House access after Trump announces ban

Sep 19, 2026

President Donald Trump has announced an unprecedented White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, accusing them of reporting "fake news" to diminish his administration. The ban was enforced on September 19, 2026, when MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner and a photographer had their access badges disabled and were turned away from the grounds. Media organizations, including the White House Correspondents' Association, have widely condemned the move as a flatly unconstitutional assault on First Amendment rights, setting up an imminent legal battle over press access.

White House media ban announcement

▪United States President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on September 18, 2026, that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are banned from the White House "effective immediately."
▪President Donald Trump stated that his ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, announced September 18, 2026, was a response to a "cumulation of stories over the past few years" that he got "sick of."

MS NOW access denial enforcement

▪MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner stated that a security officer informed her that her White House-issued access badge was disabled and that the matter was "above him."
▪An MS NOW producer's access badge remained functional, allowing them to enter the White House grounds on September 19, 2026, despite President Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico affecting the network's other staff
▪Two MS NOW journalists, including White House correspondent Akayla Gardner and a photographer, were denied access to the White House grounds on the morning of September 19, 2026

First Amendment press freedom

▪The White House Correspondents' Association president, Jacqui Heinrich, condemned President Trump's ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House as an infringement on Constitutional rights and defended the CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists targeted by the ban
▪In the 1977 Sherrill v. Knight case, a federal appeals court ruled that the White House cannot deny access to credentialed journalists based on the content of their coverage
▪In 2018, CNN successfully obtained a federal court order restoring the revoked White House press credentials of its correspondent Jim Acosta
▪MS NOW released a statement on September 19, 2026, declaring MS NOW's intention to take all necessary steps to defend MS NOW's First Amendment rights and independent journalism

Trump fake news accusations

▪President Donald Trump characterized The New York Times and The Washington Post as "fake news" and "crummy," suggesting the White House would stop displaying the papers
▪President Donald Trump accused CNN, MS NOW, and Politico of propagating "fake news" and writing "fiction or lies" to diminish Republicans and his administration

Banned outlets CNN Politico

▪CNN defended its White House team's reporting as fair and accurate, stating that President Trump's threatened ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would constitute an illegal assault on its constitutionally protected rights
▪Politico stated it would continue to report fairly on the White House and vigorously defend Politico's First Amendment rights against any restrictions
▪Politico's communications team rejected a claim by President Donald Trump that the outlet had received government subsidies, calling the assertion false and thoroughly debunked