MS NOW reported on Saturday that its journalists were denied access to White House grounds following President Donald Trump's social media announcement banning the outlet alongside CNN and Politico due to what he termed as "constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS." The news outlet responded by asserting its intent to defend its First Amendment rights, emphasizing the critical role of independent journalism. Critics, including former President Barack Obama and the White House Correspondents' Association, have broadly condemned Trump’s actions as undermining democratic principles and violating constitutional protections for press freedom.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
MS NOW said Saturday that its journalists have been denied access to the White House grounds, a day after President Donald Trump said in a social media post he had banned the news outlet alongside CNN and Politico over what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.”
asserted
he → say → what
“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 posted on X.
“MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalists in our democracy,” it added.
asserted
it → belong → democracy
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press.
asserted
Amendment → guarantee → press
The White House declined to further comment Saturday, referring NBC News to Trump’s previous comments.
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House → decline → comments
In a Truth Social post Friday afternoon, Trump said media outlets “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States.”
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they → say → States
Trump also warned “other outlets” would “follow” but did not specify which.
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outlets → warn → which
All three outlets had continued to report from the White House on Friday after the announcement.
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outlets → continue → announcement
“CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network said Friday.
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network → stand → team
Politico Press, the publication’s communications team, said in a post on X that Trump’s claims that Politico “received government subsidies are false and have been thoroughly debunked.”
uncertain
Politico → say → subsidies
“POLITICO will continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones. We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them,” the post said.
asserted
post → continue → them
Trump, responding to a reporter in the Oval Office shortly after announcing the ban, said the new policy was the result of “cumulative stories over the last few years.”
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policy → respond → years
He did not specify a particular news report, and a White House spokesperson referred NBC News to the president’s spoken comments.
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spokesperson → specify → comments
The move has drawn broad criticism.
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move → draw → criticism
During a speaking engagement at Colgate University on Friday from which NBC News obtained audio, former President Barack Obama said: “I’m trying to think what would have happened if I had said, you know what, Fox News, you’re out of here.
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you → obtain → what
It’s unimaginable.”
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It → ’ → ?
He added that if a certain pocket of the country agrees with the proposed restriction, “we have not developed the kind of understanding of what democracy requires,” noting that people have to get to work to shore up that understanding.
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people → add → understanding
“The Constitution protects the freedom of the press from government interference, White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich said in a statement.
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Heinrich → protect → statement
“That protection does not depend on whether the president likes a news organization’s coverage, agrees with its reporting, or approves of the questions its journalists ask.”
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journalists → depend → questions
“The WHCA stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MS NOW, and Politico who are being singled out for doing their jobs,” she added.
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she → stand → jobs
“The courts have twice found that the Trump administration violated the Constitution by suspending reporters’ White House press passes,” said Charlie Stadtlander, a spokesperson for The New York Times.
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Stadtlander → find → Times
“The Times stands in support of the news organizations being unfairly targeted by the president.”
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Times → stand → president
The move is the latest in Trump’s ongoing efforts to punish news organizations and broadcasters for their coverage.
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move → punish → coverage
Shortly after taking office, Trump banned The Associated Press from the Oval Office, Air Force One and some events after it declined to acknowledge his call to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
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it → take → America
The AP filed suit, and the case is ongoing.
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case → file → suit
Trump has also sued outlets including the BBC, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal for defamation.
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Trump → sue → defamation
The suits against the Times and the Journal were subsequently dismissed, but have since been refiled.
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suits → dismiss → Times
The BBC has filed to get Trump’s suit against it tossed.
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suit → file → it