US President Donald Trump has barred Politico, CNN and MS NOW journalists from accessing the White House, according to multiple reports. The outlets confirmed that their reporters were denied entry on Saturday morning, with badges confiscated by White House security personnel. The move follows Trump's announcement on Friday that he was barring the three major media outlets from the White House, accusing them of writing 'fiction or lies' about his administration.

The denial of access has sparked immediate criticism from press freedom advocates, who argue the move is unconstitutional. MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner described being told by an officer that her badge was 'disabled' and that the decision was 'above him'. She noted that while her badge was disabled, an MS NOW producer was still able to scan her badge and enter, though no explanation was given for the discrepancy. CNN reporter Betsy Klein reported that a Secret Service agent told her her badge had been deactivated. Politico's reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry, with her pass revoked by the Secret Service.

The three outlets have condemned the decision, asserting that it violates their constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of the press. MS NOW stated in a press release that the White House 'belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars', and that it 'intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights'. Politico's Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenberger said in an internal email that the outlet would 'vigorously defend' its reporters' rights. CNN reiterated its stance that it has a 'right under the US Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government', calling the ban an 'illegal assault on this fundamental right'.

Trump did not specify particular stories or reporting that prompted the ban, but later referred to 'cumulative stories over the last few years'. He also suggested there may be 'others to join them', though no directive has been issued to ban additional outlets. When asked about the 'others', Trump claimed that 'the New York Times is fake news, the Washington Post is fake news'.

Legal groups have already raised concerns about the legality of the move. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which provides legal services to the media, stated that the ban is 'flatly unconstitutional'. Bruce Brown, the group's president, explained that the First Amendment 'is clear that once the White House invites in some journalists, it can't ban others because it doesn't like their reporting'.

This is part of a broader pattern of actions by the Trump administration against media outlets it perceives as critical. Legal actions have been taken against US and international outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC. Some of these lawsuits have resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements, with Trump's lawsuit against the BBC still ongoing.