President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, escalating his ongoing dispute with major news organizations over their coverage of his administration. Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, saying the ban would take effect immediately.

Truth Social
Credit: Truth Social

President Trump accused the three outlets of reporting “FICTION and LIES” about the president, his administration and the United States. He also warned that additional media organizations could face similar restrictions.

The president specifically criticized Politico over federal government spending on its subscription services, referring to an $8 million subscription as an “All-Time Record” and questioning whether the arrangement constituted corruption. Federal spending records have shown that government agencies purchased Politico Pro subscriptions, with the federal government incurring millions of dollars in obligations for the service during the Biden administration. FactCheck.org previously reported that such subscriptions were also purchased during Trump's first term and were not equivalent to government grants to the news organization.

The White House had not immediately provided details on what the ban would mean for the organizations' reporters, including whether it would affect press credentials, access to White House events or other forms of presidential coverage.

The announcement comes amid a broader dispute between the Trump administration and several media organizations over access and coverage. Questions about whether government officials can exclude particular news organizations based on their reporting have previously resulted in litigation involving White House press access.