US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing them of spreading "fake news." Trump charged the outlets with reporting "fiction and lies" and said additional news organizations would face similar action.
Trump's clashes with CNN and MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, date back to his first term in office. He has portrayed both networks as symbols of a liberal and hostile media establishment that, in his view, has covered him unfairly on issues ranging from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to the legal proceedings against him.
The confrontation with CNN reached a high point in 2018, when the White House revoked correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass following a heated exchange with Trump. A federal judge subsequently ordered the administration to restore Acosta's credentials. Trump also frequently derided MSNBC as "MSDNC," a reference to what he viewed as the network's affinity with the Democratic Party.
Contrary to Trump's claim that the network had changed its name because of declining viewership and credibility, the change from MSNBC to MS NOW came as the network separated from NBC's news operations and became part of Versant. The rebranding was not presented as a response to falling ratings or credibility.
Trump's dispute with Politico intensified early in his second term after he claimed that the Biden administration had paid the news organization $8 million to keep it "alive." In fact, the figure reflected purchases by multiple federal agencies of subscriptions and professional information services, including Politico Pro, rather than a government grant. Federal agencies also purchased Politico subscriptions during Trump's first term.
The latest move therefore marks another escalation in Trump's yearslong battle against what he calls "fake news." After years of verbal attacks and the cancellation of government subscriptions, Trump has now announced that news organizations whose coverage he considers false and hostile will be barred from the White House.
