MS NOW says its journalists were denied access to the White House grounds Saturday morning, escalating Trump’s efforts to restrict coverage from the complex.
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MS NOW says its journalists were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday morning, a move it described as part of an escalating dispute over press access after President Donald Trump announced he would bar the network and other outlets from the complex the day before.
The announcement follows Trump’s Friday claim that he was banning MS NOW, along with CNN and Politico, from the White House due to what he characterized as unfavorable coverage and “fake news,” continuing a long-running effort to limit access for journalists he disputes.
In a statement issued Saturday, MS NOW said it would stand behind its reporters and argued that the White House belongs to the public. The network said decisions made inside are funded by taxpayers.
MS NOW said it intends to take steps it described as necessary to defend its First Amendment rights and what it called the essential role of independent journalism in a democracy.
Saturday’s reported denial of access adds a new test to existing debates in the United States about First Amendment protections and how far the executive branch can restrict media presence on federal property.
It remained unclear Saturday morning whether CNN journalists were also being blocked from the White House grounds, according to the report. MS NOW’s statement addressed its own journalists’ access but did not clarify whether other outlets were affected in the same way.
MS NOW correspondents are typically at the White House on weekends when the president is in Washington, or when he is at the nearby presidential retreat at Camp David, making weekend access an important practical factor for national coverage during those periods.
At the same time, Politico journalists were described as typically not being on the White House grounds on Saturdays, which would mean any reported effect could vary by outlet and scheduling patterns rather than applying uniformly across all media.
For context on Trump’s location, the president was reported to be at the presidential retreat in Maryland this weekend, rather than at the White House, which is one reason weekend access for journalists can depend on the president’s movements during the day.
The developments underscore how access disputes can affect what news organizations are able to cover from the immediate White House environment, particularly during weekends when the president’s schedule can shift between Washington and nearby retreats.
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