“Effective immediately”: Trump announces banning CNN and two other media outlets from the White House

This is another step taken by Donald Trump in his war against the media. The American president announced on Friday, September 18, that he would ban access to the White House from the television channels CNN and MSNOW (formerly MSNBC) as well as the online media Politico “with immediate effect.”

The American president made this unprecedented announcement, the implementation of which remains shrouded in uncertainty, on his Truth Social network. “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning ‘fake news’ CNN, MSNOW (…) and Politico (…) from the White House because of their continued coverage of FALSE NEWS,” he wrote.

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“Other media spreading false information will follow,” threatened Donald Trump.

“I think someone has the right to keep them away if they write false stories all the time,” he said during an exchange with the press in the Oval Office, before adding: “Our country must have honest information.”

Just after the announcement, journalists from Politico and CNN were still in the White House press area, which includes the famous press conference room as well as offices, noted an AFP journalist.

AFP contacted CNN, MSNOW, Politico and the White House Correspondents Association, with no immediate response.

During his first term and since his return to power in early 2025, the 80-year-old Republican has repeatedly attacked journalists or media outlets whose coverage displeases him, whether in court, on Truth Social or even verbally during exchanges with journalists.

Associated Press already ruled out

He also removed the Associated Press news agency, a pillar of American journalism, from the Oval Office after the latter refused to adopt the name “Gulf of America” ​​for the Gulf of Mexico.

During his first term, the White House temporarily withdrew the accreditation of a CNN journalist, Jim Acosta, after a heated exchange.

This spectacular announcement on Friday, the concrete repercussions of which were not immediately clear, comes at a time of great political difficulty for Donald Trump.

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The American president is increasingly unpopular because of the high cost of living in the United States and the soaring price of fuel. The Americans also criticize his decision to trigger a conflict against Iran, the outcome of which is more uncertain than ever.

According to polls, the Republican Party risks losing control of one or even both chambers of the American Congress following the midterm elections on November 3.

With AFP