President Trump Denies Entry to MS NOW, CNN, and Politico Journalists

On Saturday, journalists from MS NOW, CNN, and Politico were refused entry to the White House, a day after President Trump announced their prohibition from the premises. This action followed the revocation of their press passes.

Akayla Gardner, reporter for MS NOW, experienced this firsthand when her pass was invalidated. When inquiring, she was informed by security that the decision was beyond their authority. CNN’s Betsy Klein and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett encountered similar situations, as their attempts to access the White House resulted in pass confiscation by Secret Service.

MS NOW, previously know as MSNBC, is committed to defending its First Amendment rights, emphasizing the importance of independent journalism in democracy.

CNN released a statement reinforcing its commitment to news reporting on the U.S. government, regardless of obstacles, and expressed support for their White House correspondents.

Politico’s editor-in-chief, Jonathan Greenberger, vowed to uphold First Amendment rights and expressed strong support for Haslett and White House coverage.

The president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Jacqui Heinrich from Fox News, condemned the decision as a First Amendment violation, urging an immediate restoration of access.

President Trump cited dissatisfaction with perceived ‘fake news’ as his motive but refrained from specifying articles. Previously, he barred the Associated Press following a disagreement over naming conventions, leading to a legal challenge. In the past, CNN successfully sued to restore Jim Acosta’s press pass after it was revoked during a contentious interaction.

CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson commented that the ban appears to be content-based discrimination.