CNN and MS NOW Have Both Been Denied Access to White House Amid Trump Ban
CNN revealed on Saturday morning that their reporters are being denied access to the White House grounds following President Donald Trump’s threat to ban them and others.
CNN released a statement about the access denial shortly after MS NOW revealed their staff was also denied access. Multiple MS NOW reporters had their badges disabled and confiscated by White House staff.
Check out CNN’s statement below:
Early today, CNN journalists were denied access to the White House grounds. CNN’s mission to report on the U.S. government will continue, regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings or any other attempts to impede our journalism. We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government. And this ban is an illegal assault on this fundamental right. We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account. And we will continue to report on the actions and processes of this administration without fear or favor. CNN stands fully behind our White House team.
CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein told Brianna Keilar that when she arrived at the White House on Saturday morning, she came to find her press badge was deactivated. White House staff confiscated the badge and no further information was provided.
Trump vowed on Friday that MS NOW, CNN, and Politico would all be banned from the White House “effective immediately,” even as experts have questioned the legality of such a move.
The president wrote on Truth Social:
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!
Klein reported earlier on Saturday, citing a source familiar with the situation, that Trump left White House staffers “scrambling” with his media ban announcement, with many hearing about the ban for the first time on Truth Social like everyone else.
Watch above via CNN.
This is a breaking story and it has been updated.
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