President Trump announced Friday afternoon that he is “banning” CNN, MS NOW and Politico “from the White House,” saying the move was “effective immediately.” As of that evening, though, there was no sign his administration had actually acted on it. CNN reporters stayed in their White House workspace, and a CNN crew was still working Friday as the assigned television pool reporters covering Vice President JD Vance.
A source familiar with the matter said even some White House staffers, including people in the press shop, were caught off guard by the announcement and were scrambling to figure out what it would mean for day-to-day operations.
The country’s leading First Amendment groups say that if Trump follows through, it would be unconstitutional and would get struck down in court.
Now that CNN and Politico are the ones facing exclusion, the outrage from legacy media is loud. But it’s worth remembering that these same voices weren’t nearly so committed to press access when the target was a conservative outlet instead of them.
What Stelter Said in 2021
Back in March 2021, CNN’s Brian Stelter used his own show to raise the idea of removing Fox News from the White House Press Pool under President Biden. Talking with guest David Zurawik, Stelter framed it as a legitimate question because, in his telling, Fox was “radicalizing” and becoming more of a political tool than a news outlet.
“There are, you know, questions about Fox, as Fox radicalizes, and as it becomes even more and more of a political tool… Should it be a part of the White House Press Pool? You know, should it be afforded the privileges that come with news-gathering, even though they do have some ‘news’ reporters at the White House, you’re saying they’re primarily a political tool, so should that be re-assessed?” — Brian Stelter
Zurawik didn’t just entertain the idea, he ran with it, comparing Fox to a group he said shouldn’t be allowed on Air Force One.
“Listen, I really do, I think it’s a discussion we need to have… there’s nothing journalistic in what Lachlan Murdoch said, and you know what? I say hey, you know what, let’s take them at their word. Let’s not let them on the plane. You want to let the Proud Boys on your plane, on your Air Force One? No, I don’t think so. These guys are doing the same thing.” — David Zurawik
Neither man was talking hypothetically about some other administration’s press pool. They were discussing stripping a specific outlet of White House access because they judged its politics unacceptable — the exact complaint now being lodged against Trump.
The Bottom Line
Press access at the White House should not depend on which party currently occupies it, and it should not depend on whether the outlet in the crosshairs leans left or right. The First Amendment groups warning that a Trump ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be unconstitutional are making the correct argument. They would have had the same argument in 2021, when a CNN anchor was on the air suggesting Fox News get the same treatment.
Principles that only apply to the other side aren’t principles. They’re leverage.
