Zendrah Bonnick, Asst. News Editor
On Friday, Sept. 18., amid growing concerns of media censorship, President Donald Trump announced that he would be banning various media outlets from the White House which included CNN, MSNOW and Politico.
Trump made the announcement on the social media site Truth Social stating, “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW.”
Later, Politico published a response,“The claims that POLITICO received government subsidies are false and have been thoroughly debunked.”
In a separate Truth Social post, the president also 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.”
Contrary to this, CNN denounced the presidents claims of “fake news” on X (formerly known as twitter).
“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting.” “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government. Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right”
Politico echoed similar sentiments, citing their constitutional right to exercise their freedom of speech and the press stating, “[Politico] will continue to report on this White House and future ones. We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them.”
Both outlets referencing the First of the Ten Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that compose the Bill of Rights; which protects the freedom of the press and the ability to petition the government as a right granted to prevent against tyranny that cannot be legislated against.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” the amendment states.
This dispute between media and the current administration has occurred after years of increasing censorship in media and to restriction news media for access to government buildings, including an attempt to restrict the Associated Presses access to the White House, Jan. 2025.
More recently, the administration has moved to restrict press access to the Pentagon. In Oct. 2025, the Pentagon releases a 21-page document replacing the previous one-page document that stated rules of press access to the Pentagon. The document includes restrictions on the press’s ability to move through the facility as well as prohibiting “solicitation.” Consequently, the government has relieved pushback from various media outlets including the New York Times.
The Pentagon defended the policy in a statement: “However, if you solicit the disclosure of such information or otherwise encourage DoW [Department of War, formerly Department of Defense] personnel to violate laws and policies concerning the disclosure of such information, such conduct may weigh in the consideration of whether you pose a security or safety risk… Solicitation may include direct communications with specific DoW personnel or general appeals, such as public advertisements or calls for tips encouraging DoW employees to share non-public DoW information,”
The Pentagon added: “The First Amendment does not permit journalists to solicit government employees to violate the law by providing confidential government information. The press’s rights are not absolute and do not override the government’s compelling interest in maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information.”
In a civil case brought by The New York Times against the Pentagon over the policy, a judge sided with the Times in March. In response, Times lawyers wrote: “The First Amendment flatly prohibits the government from granting itself the unbridled power to restrict speech because the mere existence of such arbitrary authority can lead to self-censorship.”