MS NOW fired back after President Donald Trump booted the network’s journalists from the White House, insisting that the building “belongs to the American people” and vowing to fight the move. The network issued its defiant response on Saturday after its reporters were denied entry to the White House grounds. Trump had announced one day earlier that MS NOW, CNN, and Politico were barred “effective immediately” over what he called their constant reporting of “FAKE NEWS.”
The confrontation began on Friday, September 18th, when Trump announced the ban through a post on Truth Social. The ban applied to the three news organizations rather than a single reporter or television program. The president accused all three outlets of repeatedly publishing false stories about him, his administration, and the United States. Trump didn’t cite a particular article or broadcast as the immediate reason for his decision.
MS NOW confirmed Saturday morning that its journalists had been turned away. “Earlier this morning MS NOW journalists were denied access to the White House grounds,” the network said. “The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars.” The statement marked the first public confirmation from MS NOW that the administration had carried out Trump’s announcement.
As Breitbart News reported, the network then threatened to take further action over the ban. “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,” its statement continued. “We stand firmly behind our anchors, our reporters, and our newsroom.”
Watch Trump describe the ban here:
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Trump’s announcement singled out MS NOW by both its current and former names. “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico,” Trump wrote. He also attacked Politico over what he described as an “illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription” purchased by the federal government under former President Joe Biden.
The president said the ban was a response to what he described as repeated dishonest coverage. “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. MS NOW’s response defended the network’s journalists but didn’t address any specific reporting that Trump considered false.
The dispute follows several public confrontations between Trump and reporters employed by the affected outlets. In August, Trump called MS NOW White House correspondent Jake Traylor “fake news” and “one of the worst in the business.” Trump also dismissed a question from Politico reporter Dasha Burns during an earlier exchange, telling her, “Politico’s been so wrong about everything,” before asking for another reporter to be called on.
MS NOW initially left open the possibility of a legal or administrative challenge without identifying what specific steps it would take. That changed Monday, when MS NOW, CNN, and Politico announced that they had notified the Trump administration that they were filing a lawsuit over the denied access. The outlets said the revocation of their journalists’ credentials violated their First Amendment rights. Trump had already indicated that the crackdown could expand beyond the three organizations, writing, “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”