On Saturday, journalists from three major American media outlets – CNN, MS NOW and Politico – were not allowed into the White House, reports the Associated Press. A day earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that he was prohibiting representatives of these publications from accessing his official residence due to the spread of “fake news”.
CNN senior White House correspondent Betsy Klein reported on the incident live on the channel. According to her, on Saturday morning her pass did not work at the entrance to the White House, after which security confiscated the card, returning only the transparent plastic holder. The journalist was sent to the White House press service for additional clarification.
MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner also reported the incident live. She noted that she passed through two security checkpoints without any problems, but at the next checkpoint, an employee informed her that her pass had been deactivated and demanded that she turn it in. Politico later reported that the publication's White House correspondent, Cheyenne Haslett, was also denied entry.
CNN called the administration's decision a “direct threat to press freedom” and said that the channel would continue to cover the White House despite the ban. MS NOW, in turn, noted that they “intend to take all necessary measures to protect their rights.” White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) President Jacqui Heinrich spoke out in support of journalists and called on the administration to immediately restore their access.
Trump announced his decision on Truth Social on Friday, saying the media “should not be able to continually write or broadcast fiction and lies when reporting on the President of the United States, the Trump administration, or national events.”
“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning fake CNN, MSN NOW (which recently changed its name from MSNBC due to lack of views and credibility), and Politico (recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 million, a record amount, subscription directly from the US Government under Joe Biden so they can 'stay afloat'. Sounds like corruption to me) from the White House due to the continued spread of fake news,” Trump wrote.
That same day, during an event in the Oval Office, the president repeated the point and made it clear that similar measures could be taken against The New York Times and The Washington Post. He also criticized Fox News, saying that the network has “the worst public opinion polls in the entire media business.”
“You just get tired of reading and watching fake news. When you watch CNN, it's just fake. Because of this, they have bad ratings. When you watch MS NOW it is fake news. Because they [распространяют] fake news. The New York Times is full of fake news, The Washington Post is disgusting. Really disgusting. I don't understand why they should be like that. You know, we're doing very well, and they take the most positive news and make the most negative out of it,” Trump said.
