MS NOW announced that its reporters were denied entry to the White House on Saturday. This comes as President Donald Trump stated that due to unfavorable coverage, this network and two other media outlets, CNN and Politico, were barred from accessing the White House.
Media Response to Restrictions
This action intensifies Trump's ongoing efforts to limit the news coverage of media outlets that he deems unfavorable. On Friday, Trump publicly announced that these three media outlets were banned from the White House due to what he called "fake news." In a statement released by MS NOW, the network expressed its support for its reporters and emphasized its rights regarding press freedom.
Details of the Incident and Reactions
Aquila Gardner, a reporter for MS NOW, reported live that after passing through two gates, when she reached the ID card scanning stage, an officer informed her that her ID card had been deactivated and asked her to surrender it. She also noted that a producer from the network had been able to enter, but a photographer's ID card had also been deactivated.
Trump wrote on his social media: "Immediately, I ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House due to their ongoing and fake reporting!" He further explained that the mentioned media outlets were deemed unacceptable by him due to "fake news." This decision follows actions Trump has taken during his second term to punish specific media outlets, both in court and through legal measures.
The history of these restrictions dates back to last year when Trump barred Associated Press reporters from entering the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other events. This action was in response to the media's decision not to comply with Trump's request to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico.
