MS Now and CNN denied access to White House grounds as Trump enforces ban

MS Now, CNN, and Politico said that their journalists were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump announced he was barring the outlets from the White House.

A reporter and photographer for MS Now were turned away Saturday morning as they arrived to work, the network said.

CNN also released a statement saying its journalists were denied access to the White House on Saturday. 

Politico later said the Secret Service had denied access to White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett

“We stand by [Haslett] and all reporters here covering the White House,” Politico editor in chief  Jonathan Greenberger said. “As we said yesterday, we will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.”

MS Now White House reporter Akayla Gardner said her badge was denied Saturday morning when she attempted to scan into the White House grounds. She said an officer then took her badge, saying it was disabled. 

Gardner added that while she and an MS Now photographer were turned away, the MS Now producer’s badge worked, allowing her to enter the White House grounds.

MS Now threatened to take action against Trump, saying his restrictions violated the First Amendment. 

“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS Now said in a press statement. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”

“We stand firmly behind our anchors, our reporters, and our newsroom,” it added. “We will continue to report on the President, the administration, and the issues that impact the American people.”

Trump said Friday that he was banning MS Now, CNN, and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of repeatedly 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,” Trump wrote. He added that other “Fake News Media Outlets” could face similar action. 

The president later acknowledged that the ban could face legal challenges, telling the Washington Examiner that “we’ll see” whether it survives in court. He argued that the White House should be able to restrict outlets that he believes publish false stories.

The White House Correspondents’ Association also defended the three outlets, saying the Constitution protects freedom of the press from government interference and that those protections do not depend on whether a president agrees with a news organization’s coverage.

TRUMP GOT A SECOND CHANCE. HE’S WASTING IT

“This is about more than the rights of journalists,” the White House Correspondents’ Association said. “It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office.” 

Trump’s announcement initially created uncertainty over how the ban would be enforced. Journalists from all three outlets remained on White House grounds Friday afternoon, hours after Trump announced the restrictions.