MS NOW, CNN and Politico said White House officials denied access to at least four of their journalists Saturday morning, a day after President Donald Trump announced he was banning the three outlets from the White House.
MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said while she was able to enter two gates within the grounds with no issues, her badge didn’t scan once inside the building.
“The officer asked me to hand over my badge. He said it was disabled. I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was ‘above him,’” Gardner said on air, adding that the guard had revoked an MS NOW photographer’s access as well.
Another network producer’s badge scanned successfully and she was allowed access on Saturday morning, Gardner said.
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“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW said in a statement. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”
CNN journalist Betsy Klein was also denied access to the White House grounds Saturday morning, the outlet reported.
Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied entry to the complex, the outlet wrote in its Playbook newsletter this morning, adding that her access pass had also been revoked by the Secret Service.
Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that he was banning MS NOW, Politico and CNN journalists because of the outlets’ “constant” fake reports. His announcement did not include additional details.
When reporters later asked how the ban would work in practice, the president said it would be “a very simple ban. I don’t want them in my office. I don’t want them here.”
Trump also suggested he could ban other outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
When asked for additional details on Saturday, the White House referred The Washington Sun to Trump’s earlier comments in the Oval Office.
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