US President Donald Trump don announce say him dey ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House effective immediately. Di announcement come on Friday inside one post on Truth Social. Trump tok say di outlets dey constantly write or report fiction or lies about him administration, but him no give any example. Later for Oval Office, him call am a very simple ban, but him no explain how e go work. E still unclear whether employees of those outlets go stop to enter White House grounds. Reporters from Politico and CNN still dey White House grounds shortly after di announcement. A CNN crew also dey travel with Vice-President JD Vance to and from event in Iowa.
CNN quickly slam di move as illegal assault on American press freedoms. For statement, di network tok say dem stand fully behind their White House team and their fair and accurate reporting. Dem tok say under US Constitution, dem get right to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from government. Dem add say if di ban wey President Trump threaten go ahead, e go be illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right. Politico also release statement say dem go continue to fairly report on dis White House and future ones, and dem go vigorously defend their First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them. MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, decline to comment.
Inside di Truth Social post, Trump write say media outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when dem dey cover President of United States, Trump Administration or United States of America. He add say other news outlets to follow. When reporter ask wetin him mean by others to come, Trump respond say New York Times na fake news, Washington Post na fake news. White House Correspondents’ Association President Jacqui Heinrich, wey work for Fox News, tok say di association stand in defence of colleagues wey dem single out for doing their jobs. She tok say dis no be only about rights of journalists, but about right of American people to receive full and independent account of activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupy nation highest office.
Later for Oval Office, Trump tok say no reason for di announcement to come on Friday afternoon. He tok say na really just cumulative stories over last few years, and say you get sick of it. He add say there may be others to join them, but him no name specific news outlets. He also acknowledge say legal challenges fit follow, and tok say I think it’s good to point it out, whether it survives or doesn’t. For one Oval Office event to promote healthcare policies, Trump tok say he no dey get fair press. He tok say he dey get am from Breitbart and small from Fox, but wetin him ask na just semblance of truth. When one reporter remind am say every president take oath to uphold constitution, including First Amendment right to free speech, Trump tok say you get so tired of reading and seeing fake news. He add say he no think court suppose allow fake news to be written day after day, and say somebody get right to keep them away if dem go write false stories all the time. Toward end of chaotic news conference, when reporter ask am to explain how di ban on three outlets go work, Trump ask which ban, say Do you know how many bans I’m involved in? After another correspondent rephrase, Trump tok Oh, the ban on the free press, right?
Since him return to office in January 2025, Trump and administration officials don repeatedly clash with members of White House press corps. For him second term, Trump don move to bring conservative bloggers, influencers and other media into press room, arguing say e necessary to provide diverse perspectives to American public. In February, White House announce say dem dey take control of press pool wey get access to Trump and wey White House Correspondents’ Association manage for more than a century. Same month, administration move to bar Associated Press reporters and photographers from spaces where access limited, like Oval Office or Air Force One, because of outlet usage of term Gulf of Mexico instead of Gulf of America. AP file lawsuit and case still ongoing.
Trump don frequently clash with reporters for Oval Office, Air Force One and White House events, often calling them fake news and rude. For him first term, Trump also ban CNN correspondent Jim Acosta from White House, although him credentials return after CNN sue. CNN na one of only five US news outlets wey dey film video for pool. Di pool mean one outlet or reporter dey share material from presidential event with other media outlets. BBC dey contribute to White House radio pool.
Di announcement immediately attract criticism from leading advocacy organisations for freedom of press. Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University tok say with so many courts wey don rule against him on exactly dis point, you for think President Trump go don learn lesson by now. Executive director Jameel Jaffer tok say if President Trump mean to expel these news organizations from White House press pool, him action doubly unconstitutional because press pool na public forum under First Amendment, meaning president can’t exclude journalists from it based on their viewpoints.
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, one major group wey dey provide legal services to media, tok say dem expect Trump ban to struck down quickly by courts because e flatly unconstitutional. Group president Bruce Brown tok say First Amendment clear say once White House invite some journalists, e no fit ban others because e no like their reporting. Him call di potential ban textbook viewpoint discrimination. Freedom of the Press Foundation also tok say e illegal, and add say e hard to imagine a dumber move. Dem tok say Trump don dey retaliate against press for years, but e no help him, and these outrageous attacks only show how scared him dey of informed public.
Democrats and free speech groups quickly condemn di move. Chris Coons, one Democratic senator, write for social media say Trump dey once again try to use power of presidency to punish free press, now banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House. Coons tok say na behavior of authoritarian, and dem must defend press right to hold those in power accountable. Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, tok say e difficult to imagine more blatant violation of First Amendment than Trump banning news outlets from People’s House for criticizing government. Him call am dumber move, and tok say historically unpopular president don dey retaliate against press for years but e no help him. Him tok say press keep exposing him corruption and failures, and these outrageous attacks only show how scared him dey of informed public.
On Friday, Washington Post report say more American service members don die for war on Iran than Pentagon publicly disclose. CNN reveal say entirely false intelligence report about Chinese ship for Middle East generated with help of artificial intelligence almost start war. Politico report uncover Hill investigation after sensitive F-35 fighter jet technology unexpectedly make way to Hong Kong, possibly give China access to them. Trump tok say him decision to ban three outlets no relate to those stories. He tok say na really just cumulative stories over last few years, before threatening more media prohibitions fit follow. Him tok say there may be others to join them.
Trump don pursue legal action against number of US and international news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and BBC. Some of di lawsuits result in media organisations agreeing to pay multimillion dollar settlements. Trump lawsuit against BBC still ongoing. Di Pentagon also attempt to introduce new press policy to restrict ability of journalists to gather and report on sensitive information, which culminate in mass walkout of news media outlets who refuse to sign pledge. A federal judge later rule say di policy unconstitutional.
