# Trump bans three news outlets from White House

> The Justice Department argues the president can revoke media access as a privilege, not a right, citing national security concerns.
- Title: Trump bans three news outlets from White House · NBC News
- Summary: The Justice Department argues the president can revoke media access as a privilege, not a right, citing national security concerns. The Trump administration…
- Keywords: donald trump, cnn, ms now, politico, white house, media ban, first amendment, justice department, press freedom, white house correspondents association, politics, news
- Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-media-ban-white-house-access-privilege-national-security-doj-rcna599347
- Author: Gary Grumbach
- Published: 2026-09-23T11:12:53.581+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: donald trump, cnn, ms now, politico, white house, media ban, first amendment, justice department, press freedom, white house correspondents association, politics, news
## Trump bans three major news outlets
President Trump announced Friday he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House effective immediately, calling them fake news outlets.

> Media Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES
## Reporters lose White House credentials
Journalists from the three outlets, including CNN's Betsy Klein, MS NOW's Akayla Gardner and Politico's Cheyenne Haslett, had their access passes deactivated and credentials confiscated.
## DOJ claims access is a privilege
The Justice Department argued in court that White House access is a privilege, not a right, and that the president can revoke it without violating the First Amendment.

> Access to the White House is a privilege, not a right
## National security cited as justification
The White House claimed the outlets published sensitive information about the East Wing bunker, ballroom funding, munitions stockpiles and Russia sanctions that threatened national security.
## News outlets file First Amendment lawsuit
CNN, Politico and MS NOW sued Monday arguing the ban violated their due process rights and First Amendment protections for newsgathering and speech.

> to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports
## Judge Kelly to decide temporary order
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by Trump in 2017, will hear arguments Wednesday on whether to block the ban and restore reporters' hard passes.
## TV networks refuse pool coverage
In solidarity, major TV networks refused to provide pool coverage of Trump's activities this week, resulting in no official photographs or video of his official events.
## Trump hints at possible reversal
Trump said Tuesday he would probably let the outlets back in if a court rules against him, and later told CNN's Kaitlan Collins she shouldn't be at the U.N. General Assembly.

> You shouldn't be here. ... You said you weren't going to cover me.
## Key takeaway

The Trump administration is defending its ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds by claiming press access is a privilege rather than a constitutional right, setting up a legal battle over First Amendment protections.