White House revokes hard passes of CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters
President Trump announced on Truth Social that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. The next day, Secret Service deactivated the three outlets' hard passes and turned their reporters away from the grounds.1
What happened
On September 18, 2026, Trump announced on Truth Social and at an Oval Office appearance that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House, citing accumulated coverage he called "FICTION and LIES." The White House Correspondents' Association, then led by Jacqui Heinrich, said the Constitution's press protections "do not depend on whether the president likes a news organization's coverage." On September 19, Secret Service turned away CNN's Betsy Klein, MS NOW's Akayla Gardner and Politico's Cheyenne Haslett at the White House gates; one reporter said staff told her "they had to take my badge because it was disabled." On September 20, other pool networks declined to fill CNN's rotating pool slot in solidarity, and outlets published explainers on the White House press pool system the ban put at risk.1234567
Litigation pending; CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed suit in the U.S. District Court for D.C. on 2026-09-21, and a hearing was reported for 2026-09-23.4
What reason was given
President Trump described the outlets' coverage as "FICTION and LIES" and told a Bloomberg reporter the same day, "I dislike dishonest press, like you. I think you're terrible." The White House did not identify a specific triggering story.2
What changed for reporting
CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters lost physical access to the White House grounds; their hard passes were deactivated. Other networks declined to cover CNN's rotating pool slot in solidarity, disrupting the shared press-pool feed other outlets rely on.3
Timeline
2026
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | announced | President of the United States |
| Jacqui Heinrich | other | President, White House Correspondents' Association (2026) |
| White House Correspondents' Association | other | Professional association of accredited White House reporters |
| White House Press Office | enforced | Office of the White House Press Secretary |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| CNN | outlet | affected |
| MS NOW | outlet | affected |
| Politico | outlet | affected |
| Akayla Gardner | journalist, MS NOW | affected |
| Betsy Klein | journalist, CNN | affected |
| Cheyenne Haslett | journalist, Politico | affected |
Sources
- live Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be banned from the White House archived
- live Trump claims he will ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House archived
- live Statement on White House Position on CNN, MSNOW and Politico
- live Trump banning CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House archived
- live, blocks automated checks White House Turns Away CNN, MS NOW, Politico Reporters After Trump Announces Ban archived
- live 'A ban on the free press': White House bars journalists from three outlets archived
- live Other networks decline to fill CNN's White House pool slot archived
- live Did Biden cut off 440 reporters' credentials? PolitiFact rates a viral claim
- live Major TV networks stand with CNN, decline to replace its White House pool crew
- live Judge sets hearing in CNN, MS NOW, Politico lawsuit over Trump ban
Claims cited
- Trump announced via Truth Social and at an Oval Office appearance that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House.
No, no, no, no. I dislike dishonest press, like you. I think you're terrible
Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be banned from the White House archived, NPR, 2026-09-19. live Claim 1, checked 2026-09-22. - Trump characterized the outlets' coverage as fiction and lies as his stated reason for the ban.
FICTION and LIES
Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico will be banned from the White House archived, NPR, 2026-09-19. live Claim 2, checked 2026-09-22. - CNN's, MS NOW's and Politico's White House hard passes were deactivated and their reporters turned away at the gates.
they said they weren't sure what was going on, but at the end of the day they had to take my badge because it was disabled.
Trump banning CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House archived, ABC News, 2026-09-19. live Claim 3, checked 2026-09-22. - CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed suit against the White House and the President, seeking a declaration the ban is unconstitutional and an injunction restoring access.
filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.
CNN, MS NOW, Politico sue Trump administration over White House ban archived, Axios, 2026-09-21. live, blocks automated checks Claim 4, checked 2026-09-22. - The White House Correspondents' Association said the Constitution's press protections apply regardless of the president's approval of coverage.
The Constitution protects the freedom of the press from government interference.
Statement on White House Position on CNN, MSNOW and Politico, White House Correspondents' Association, 2026-09-18. live Claim 90, checked 2026-09-22. - Other television networks declined to put a replacement pool crew in CNN's place after CNN's access was revoked.
There will be no replacement pool put in place.
Major TV networks stand with CNN, decline to replace its White House pool crew, AP (via ActionNewsNow), 2026-09-20. live Claim 91, checked 2026-09-22. - A federal judge set an initial hearing for September 23, 2026 in the lawsuit CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed against Trump.
A federal judge set an initial court hearing for Wednesday, Sept. 23 in the lawsuit CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed against President Donald Trump
Judge sets hearing in CNN, MS NOW, Politico lawsuit over Trump ban, Central Oregon Daily (AP), 2026-09-22. live Claim 92, checked 2026-09-22.