Trump bars media — U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to ban three major media outlets from White House facilities took effect on Saturday, September 19, 2026, with journalists physically barred from entering. The move, announced on Friday, September 18, targets CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), and Politico, accusing them of publishing what Trump calls “fake news” without presenting evidence.

CNN International reported that its reporter Akayla Gardner and an MS NOW photographer were denied entry and asked to surrender their press credentials. “He said (the order) came from above him,” Gardner recounted of her exchange with a White House official. In a social media post, Trump stated the ban was now active and threatened to bar other outlets if they publish what he deems false.

This is not the first such restriction under Trump. In 2025, the White House barred the Associated Press from Oval Office events and Air Force One flights after the agency refused to use the term “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico. Since returning to office, Trump’s administration has also abandoned the traditional independent pool system for selecting journalists who travel with the president, creating a seat for “new media” instead.

Critics argue these measures violate the First Amendment’s guarantee of press freedom, while the administration frames them as an adaptation to modern media. The latest bans intensify concerns over the relationship between the U.S. presidency and the free press.