U.S. President Donald Trump’s new orders to restrict access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico were put into force at the White House on Saturday, when journalists from the three news outlets were barred from the White House and their press credentials were seized.
This is in response to Trump’s announcement Friday that the three outlets would be excluded from the White House. MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner reported that she tried to go inside the complex Saturday morning, but her press pass was not working. A security officer allegedly told her it was “above him.” One photographer working for the network also got his badge disabled.
CNN correspondent Betsy Klein was also barred from the White House, and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett had her credential taken away. All three organizations stated their journalists passes were taken or deactivated, and suggested they will fight the restrictions on First Amendment grounds, according to the Reuters report.
The restrictions came after Trump made a statement on Friday that the three organizations have “spread fake news on numerous occasions.” He also hinted that other media outlets might be subjected to the same kind of action. Trump made the announcement without saying the outlets were banned, but did say in his remarks at the White House that The New York Times and The Washington Post were among those he found to be problematic.
The impacted news organizations have declined to go along with it, and have stated that they will keep covering the administration. CNN said it would continue covering the U.S. government, while MS NOW said it would “defend its First Amendment rights. It will also continue to report from the White House and uphold the constitutional rights of its journalists, said Politico.
The White House Correspondents’ Association is also condemning the restrictions. In a statement posted Friday, it stated it backed journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, and contended that the Constitution guarantees freedom of the Press from government interference.
The current controversy also has put into perspective how far the White House can go legally in restricting access to the press. Free-speech experts say the restrictions could be vulnerable to legal challenges with First Amendment protections, Reuters reported. The impacted organizations have said that they are looking at options.
The clash is also part of an ongoing battle between the Trump administration and major news outlets over access to government officials and events. The administration had previously limited Associated Press access after it had a disagreement over the Gulf of Mexico name, and Trump’s first administration was facing court challenges over the press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta and Playboy correspondent Brian Karem.
The action on Saturday makes the announced ban more than just a presidential declaration, but rather a restriction on journalists entering the White House. CNN, MS NOW and Politico have stated that they will continue to report on the administration even if they do not have physical access.
