US President Donald Trump has announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico will no longer be allowed access to the White House, accusing the three media organisations of publishing what he described as “fiction and lies.”
Trump made the announcement on Friday, September 18, 2026, in a post on his Truth Social account, saying the ban would take effect immediately.
The US president accused the outlets of repeatedly publishing what he considers false reports about his administration and the United States.
“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 (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them “alive.” Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant “reporting” FAKE NEWS!” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
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Trump further warned that other media organisations could be subjected to similar restrictions.
He added, “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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The announcement came amid Trump’s longstanding disputes with several major American news organisations over their coverage of his presidency. Reuters reported that the latest move could face legal scrutiny because of First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and the press.
MS NOW, formerly known as MSNBC, officially adopted its new name in 2025. The network said the change followed its separation from NBCUniversal as part of the creation of Versant, while its news programming and mission continued under the new identity.
Trump’s reference to an $8 million payment involving Politico also relates to a claim he has previously made about federal government spending on the news organisation. FactCheck.org found that the federal government did spend more than $8 million on Politico products in fiscal year 2024, but the payments were for subscriptions and access to Politico Pro and related services, rather than a grant or payment intended to fund the organisation’s journalism.
The spending was made by multiple federal agencies, and government purchases of Politico subscriptions also occurred during Trump’s first administration. FactCheck.org indicate that the US government had entered into $10.2 million in Politico contract obligations during fiscal years 2017 to 2020.
As of Friday, the named outlets and other press organisations had not immediately indicated how they would respond to Trump’s announcement. Reuters reported that The National Press Club also had not immediately commented.
