Democracy and the First Amendment are on the line, people.
No, not really. That's what the legacy media/activist brigade would like you to think, anyway, after President Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Friday that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would be kicked out of the White House immediately.
He followed it up in an Oval Office event, with former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders getting in some solid jabs at her former press corps foes. Pres. Trump also doubled down when a liberal reporter tried to imply his move was an effort to "intimidate" media outlets from reporting news.
"No, no, no," he began, trying to get the person to stop talking long enough so he could answer. Trump said it's dishonest journalists whom he dislikes, but he has no issue with honest journalists doing their jobs.
Reporter: "Are you trying to intimidate the press from doing their job?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 18, 2026
Trump: "No, no, no. I dislike dishonest press like you. I think you're terrible. I like to see honest press." pic.twitter.com/Vgpc2Rt60K
We also wrote about the irate reactions that swiftly started trickling out of the Fourth Estate, especially CNN in an audacious statement on their journalistic ethics that you should not attempt to read while drinking any liquids and expect to not do a spit take.
Saturday morning, the horse hockey hit the giant revolving air circulator, you might say, with MS NOW's White House press corps reporter learning that her pass was not valid, as Rusty Weiss wrote. She was not pleased in any way, and her video is worth watching for the tasty tears alone.
The latest update is on the third outlet the president barred from press briefings.
"Access Denied," blared the morning Politico Playbook newsletter's headline, with its first news item reading:
POLITICO EIC Jonathan Greenberger emailed the newsroom: “A few minutes ago, our colleague Cheyenne Haslett attempted to enter the White House to do her job as a POLITICO reporter. Secret Service denied her entry to the complex and confiscated the pass that allows her access to the White House. We stand by her and all reporters here covering the White House. As we said yesterday, we will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.”
This breathless violation of free speech rights has been confirmed in due course by a statement to USA Today:
CNN and Politico, in separate statements, confirmed that their reporters were also denied access to the White House grounds and had their passes confiscated.
Do you ever get the impression that these people want to make themselves and their lives the story, not whatever the news story happens to be? This is just the latest example, I think. It's easy to recall the media's January 6 heroes, with the catch in their throat over the horror they witnessed that fateful day at the Capitol.
A brief rewind, though, to the Oval Office comments by Trump, which were hinted at in his Truth Social statement, which seems to have been missed. Playbook caught it, and wrote about it on Saturday.
He said he was not done banning legacy media publications and networks.
Pres. Trump revealed the two more names on his short list to go out the door next.
The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Where's my popcorn?
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