CNN and MS NOW staffers turned away from White House after Trump ban

MS NOW and CNN staffers were turned away from the White House on Saturday morning, the networks said, one day after President Trump said he was banning some outlets from the property. 

CBS News observed an MS NOW correspondent and cameraman being turned away from the White House around 8 a.m. Saturday. Both had their hard passes revoked. The correspondent, Akayla Gardner, said on MS NOW she was told her pass was disabled when she tried to swipe in. She said when she asked why, the security guard said the matter was above him. 

CBS News also saw CNN reporter Betsy Klein and a cameraman trying to enter the White House grounds on Saturday, and eventually leave without their badges. 

MS NOW, formerly known as MSNBC, said in a statement that it "intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy." 

"The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars," the news organization added. 

CNN said in a statement that its "mission to report on the U.S. government will continue regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings, or any other attempts to impede our journalism." 

"We will not be deflected from our duty to hold the government and other public bodies to account, and we will continue to report on the actions and processes of this administration without fear or favor," CNN added. "CNN stands fully behind our White House team." 

Reporters from Politico will also be barred from the White House, Mr. Trump said on Truth Social Friday. He also threatened similar action against other outlets, but has not made any further announcements. 

Politico has not been seen being turned away from the White House or reported such an experience as of Saturday morning, but issued a statement in support of its staff on Friday. 

The president of the White House Correspondents' Association, Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich, said the organization "stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MSNOW, and Politico who are being singled out for doing their jobs."

Mr. Trump justified the ban on Friday by saying he was "tired of reading and seeing fake news" from the outlets. He did not highlight any specific stories. He told another reporter that he dislikes "dishonest press." 

The White House referred CBS News to Mr. Trump's comments. 

This is not the first time Mr. Trump has clashed with press outlets. Last year, the president took steps to bar the Associated Press from White House coverage after the outlet refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." The news outlet sued on First Amendment grounds. In April 2025, a federal judge ruled the White House must restore the AP's access to presidential spaces. However, a federal appeals court allowed the administration to temporarily ban the AP from smaller restricted spaces, and that legal dispute is ongoing. 

During Mr. Trump's first term, the White House attempted to take away the press pass of then-CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after a testy exchange between him and Mr. Trump. CNN filed suit, and a federal judge ordered Acosta's press pass to be restored. 

CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson said that the latest ban "smacks of content-based discrimination." 

"That's the primary thing that the First Amendment guards against," Levinson said.