MS NOW Journalists Denied White House Access After Trump Announces Media Ban

WASHINGTON (BuzzReport) — The battle between President Donald Trump and several major news organizations escalated Saturday after MS NOW reported that its journalists were denied access to the White House grounds, just one day after Trump announced plans to ban the network and other media outlets from the complex.

The reported denial of access marks a significant escalation in the administration’s increasingly contentious relationship with news organizations that have been critical of the president and his policies.

MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner reported Saturday morning that she was turned away after attempting to enter the White House grounds. According to Gardner, she was able to pass through two gates before reaching a checkpoint where her press badge was required to be scanned.

She said an officer informed her that the badge had been disabled and asked her to surrender it. Gardner reported that the officer told her the decision had come from higher authorities.

An MS NOW producer accompanying Gardner was reportedly allowed to enter, while a photographer also had his or her access badge disabled, according to the network.

The incident came less than 24 hours after Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House.

Trump said Friday that the outlets were being banned because of what he described as “fake news” and reporting he considered false or unfavorable toward him and his administration.

In a social-media post announcing the decision, Trump accused the organizations of reporting what he called “fiction and lies” about the president, the administration and the United States.

During an appearance in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about the decision and defended his action, saying he had become tired of what he characterized as inaccurate coverage.

Trump also suggested that additional news organizations could face similar restrictions.

The White House did not immediately provide a separate explanation for Saturday’s denial of access beyond referring questions back to Trump’s previous statements.

MS NOW Vows To Fight Back

Following the incident, MS NOW said it would continue covering the Trump administration and indicated that it was prepared to pursue legal action to protect its access and press rights.

“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” the network said in a statement. The network also said it intended to take “any and all steps necessary” to defend its First Amendment rights and the role of independent journalism.

The dispute has quickly moved beyond a disagreement between a president and individual news organizations. Press-freedom advocates and constitutional lawyers have raised questions about whether the government can exclude journalists from White House press facilities because officials object to the content of their reporting.

The precise legal boundaries could depend heavily on the scope of the restrictions. Presidents have considerable control over access to certain limited events and settings, but broader restrictions on journalists who are otherwise eligible to cover the White House can raise serious First Amendment questions.

Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said Friday that a broad ban based on disagreement with coverage would face significant constitutional problems.

CNN Also Reports Access Problems

The dispute expanded Saturday as CNN journalists also reported being denied access to the White House.

Journalists from both CNN and MS NOW said they were blocked from entering the complex Saturday morning. CNN said it stood behind its reporters and would continue its work covering the administration.

The situation involving Politico remained less clear Saturday morning because its journalists are not typically stationed at the White House on weekends.

The restrictions also come as the administration’s relationship with the national press continues to face scrutiny.

Trump has repeatedly criticized news organizations whose coverage he disputes. His administration has previously taken steps restricting access for certain journalists, including Associated Press reporters following a dispute over the administration’s preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.

A Growing Fight Over Access And Press Freedom

The latest confrontation raises a fundamental question about the relationship between the presidency and the press: How much control should an administration have over which journalists are permitted to cover the president inside the White House?

The White House is both the president’s official workplace and a publicly funded seat of government. Reporters assigned to the White House routinely compete for limited access to presidential events, briefings and other activities, while the administration controls security and logistical access to the complex.

At the same time, the First Amendment protects freedom of the press, and legal experts have increasingly focused on whether government officials can use access as a punishment for unfavorable reporting.

Constitutional experts believe a broad exclusion of news organizations because of their viewpoints could face significant legal challenges.

For MS NOW, Saturday’s confrontation represented more than a denied entry at a White House checkpoint. It was the first reported instance of the administration physically preventing the network’s journalists from entering the complex following Trump’s announcement.

For the White House, the administration has framed the dispute around what Trump considers inaccurate reporting and his stated desire for what he calls “honest news.”

The conflict is likely to continue, with potential legal challenges and additional questions about whether other news organizations could face similar restrictions.

As the dispute unfolds, the outcome could have consequences extending well beyond MS NOW, CNN or Politico — potentially shaping how future administrations and news organizations interact inside the White House and how government access is balanced against the constitutional protections afforded to the press.

This is a developing story.