By Admire Manzamwa
Sept. 18, 2026
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of reporting “fiction” and “lies” without identifying the coverage that prompted the extraordinary move.
Trump announced the ban, which he said was “effective immediately,” in a Sept. 18 post on Truth Social.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow,” he added.
CNN reported Friday afternoon that there was no indication the administration had taken any steps to follow through on the president’s claim, and that CNN’s team remained at the White House reporting the news. The White House and representatives for the three outlets did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The move marks a sharp escalation of Trump’s yearslong battle with the press, the Journal reported. He has regularly criticized unflattering coverage and has sued multiple outlets — including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times — for defamation.
Shortly after returning to the White House, Trump had the Associated Press removed from the White House press pool over the AP’s guidance to continue referring to the Gulf of Mexico instead of the Gulf of America, the name Trump ordered for the body of water. The AP sued, and the case is ongoing.
The administration also issued subpoenas for New York Times reporters who worked on stories about security concerns involving a jet gifted to the U.S. by the Qatari government that is being used as Air Force One; the Justice Department later agreed to withdraw the subpoenas, the Journal reported. The Wall Street Journal also received grand jury subpoenas earlier this year for reporters’ records related to a Feb. 23 article about Pentagon warnings over an extended military campaign against Iran. Those were also later withdrawn.
The ban announcement comes as Trump’s approval rating remains near or at record lows, according to most polls, and as Republican Senate candidates face unexpectedly close midterm races in reliably red states such as Iowa, Alaska and Kansas, USA Today reported.
Sources: Reuters; USA Today; Wall Street Journal; CNN.
