U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., issued a sharp condemnation Friday of President Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, calling the move an act of a “fascist administration” and demanding that press credentials for the affected outlets “be immediately reinstated.”
Pressley’s statement, posted to X at 4:56 p.m. on September 18, 2026, read in full:
“A shameful, cowardly, and undemocratic move from a fascist administration that is attacking the free press to avoid accountability. Press credentials for these news outlets must be immediately reinstated.”
The congresswoman’s remarks came directly in response to Trump’s announcement earlier that day that he was barring the three news organizations from White House grounds over what he described as unfavorable and “fake” coverage. Trump made the declaration first on his social media platform, then repeated and expanded on it in person before reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump’s Announcement and Its Immediate Fallout
Trump’s Truth Social post, published at 12:04 p.m. on September 18, 2026, stated:
“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them ‘alive.’ Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS! 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. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office minutes later during a health care event, Trump elaborated on his reasoning, saying, “Because they’re fake news. You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news. When you look at CNN, it’s just fake. That’s why their ratings are no good. When you look at MS NOW … , it’s fake news.” He added of Politico, “the stories they wrote are fake. So there’s a lot of news and there may be others to join them, and maybe they can get better. But our country has to have honest news.”
Trump gave no immediate details on how the ban would be enforced, and journalists from all three outlets remained on White House grounds through Friday afternoon with no signs of removal. That changed by Saturday morning, when CNN reporter Betsy Klein was denied access to the White House and had her press pass seized, according to CNN’s own reporting. A Politico reporter and an MS NOW reporter and photographer were also turned away when they arrived for work. All three organizations signaled they intend to pursue legal action.
The Outlets Respond
CNN pushed back forcefully against the ban, stating that it “stands behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting” and asserting that it has “a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.” The network warned that if the ban were carried out, “it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right.”
Politico issued a similar statement, saying it would “continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones” and pledging to “vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them.” MS NOW did not immediately respond to a request for comment at the time of the initial announcement.
By Saturday, CNN reiterated its position after its reporter’s credentials were pulled, stating: “CNN’s mission to report on the U.S. government will continue regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism.”
Press Freedom Organizations Sound the Alarm
Pressley was far from alone in characterizing the ban as an assault on constitutional protections. The National Press Club’s president, Mark Schoeff, said that “banning news organizations from the White House based on the administration’s disapproval of their coverage is a clear attempt to control which voices are allowed to witness and report on the exercise of presidential power.”
Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation director at PEN America, said the administration’s hostility toward the press “is never about the accuracy of news stories, but about its inability to withstand scrutiny of its actions.” Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, called the move “difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than Trump banning news outlets from the People’s House for criticizing the government,” adding that “these outrageous attacks only demonstrate how scared he is of an informed public.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association also issued a statement of solidarity with the three targeted newsrooms, and Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, who serves as WHCA president, said the ban “goes against the U.S. Constitution.”
A Pattern of Escalating Confrontations With the Press
Pressley’s statement situates the CNN, Politico and MS NOW ban within a broader second-term pattern in which the Trump administration has repeatedly clashed with news organizations, both in court and through direct executive action. The move follows Trump’s earlier decision to bar Associated Press reporters from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events after the AP declined to adopt his preferred name change for the Gulf of Mexico. That dispute remains the subject of ongoing litigation.
Since returning to office, Trump has also pursued legal action against The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC, and his administration remains locked in a long-running dispute with ABC over the renewal of its broadcast licenses. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth applauded the CNN, MS NOW and Politico ban in a post on X, writing that “the Department of War fully supports President Trump’s decision to kick CNN, MS NOW and Politico to the curb so they can publish their Fake News from outside the White House.”
The Legal Backdrop
The ban carries potential First Amendment implications rooted in decades-old case law. In the 1977 case Sherrill v. Knight, a federal appeals court ruled that while the White House is not obligated to open its doors to the press, once it establishes credentialed press facilities, it cannot deny access based on the content of a journalist’s coverage. Any denial, the court held, must serve a compelling government interest and provide the journalist notice, a chance to respond, and a final written answer.
That precedent has featured prominently in ongoing litigation over the administration’s press restrictions, including a case earlier this year in which a federal judge ruled that portions of a separate Trump administration policy restricting reporter access to the Pentagon violated the Constitution.
Pressley’s Broader Record on Press Freedom and Opposition to Trump
Pressley, who represents Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District and is a member of the progressive group known as “the Squad,” has been a consistent and vocal critic of the Trump administration throughout his second term, frequently using her platform to characterize its actions as authoritarian in nature. Friday’s statement continues that pattern, framing the White House’s treatment of CNN, Politico and MS NOW as part of a wider effort by the administration to shield itself from scrutiny rather than a legitimate response to inaccurate reporting.
As of this report, Pressley’s congressional office had not published a separate press release elaborating on her X post; her full statement stands as posted to her official account. The White House, for its part, had not detailed by Saturday how the ban would be formally implemented beyond the credential seizures reported at CNN, Politico and MS NOW, and none of the three outlets have indicated they intend to curtail their coverage of the administration.