Politico, CNN and MS NOW journalists have been denied access to the White House after US President Donald Trump announced he was banning the outlets. An MS NOW reporter and a photographer tried entering the White House grounds on Saturday morning, but their badges would not scan and an officer confiscated them, the outlet reported. Both CNN and Politico also said Saturday morning that their reporters were denied access and had their badges seized.
Trump said on Friday he was barring all three major US media outlets from the White House, accusing them of writing "fiction or lies" about his administration. Press freedom advocates called the move unconstitutional. "The officer asked me to hand over my badge.
He said that it was disabled," MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said. "I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was above him." Gardner added that while her and her colleague's badges were disabled, an MS NOW producer was still able to scan her badge to get in, though she was not given an explanation as to why the producer's badge still worked.
CNN reporter Betsy Klein said a Secret Service agent told her her badge had been deactivated. Later on Saturday morning, Politico said its reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied entry and Secret Service revoked her pass. All three outlets have spoken out against the decision, accusing Trump of violating their constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of the press.
An MS NOW spokesperson said in a statement that the White House "belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars". MS NOW said it "intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy". Politico Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenberger said in an internal email, shared in the outlet's Playbook newsletter, that the company stands by its reporters and will "vigorously defend" their First Amendment rights.
And CNN said, "We have a right under the US Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault on this fundamental right." In his announcement, Trump did not mention specific stories or reporting from the three outlets that prompted the move, but later said "it's really just cumulative stories over the last few years". Trump added that there "may be others to join them", but has not given a directive banning additional news outlets. When later asked by a reporter what he meant by others to come, Trump responded: "Others to come in terms of fake news?
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