Donald Trump's blacklist: An unthinkable move by the US president against the media

US President Donald Trump announced an immediate ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from entering the White House, calling them "fake news." Trump claimed that Politico received $8 million in illegal subscription fees from the Biden administration and promised that additional media outlets would be banned in the future.

US President Donald Trump announced this evening (Friday) an immediate ban on several major media outlets from entering the White House, including CNN. According to a report by the Canadian news network CBC, the president's blacklist currently also includes MS NOW and the news site Politico. In a statement posted on his social media platform Truth Social, the president explained the unusual step and harshly criticized the banned outlets, calling them "fake news." Trump argued that media organizations should not be able to consistently write or report lies and falsehoods when covering him and his administration. The American president did not spare any of the banned outlets and provided specific explanations for each. Referring to MS NOW, Trump claimed the network was forced to change its original name from MSNBC "due to a lack of viewers and credibility." He directed his harshest criticism at Politico, alleging it received $8 million in illegal subscription fees from the US government under Joe Biden, a record amount. The president noted that the accusation sounds to him like a clear case of corruption. At the end of his statement, Trump made clear that this move is not the last and promised that additional media outlets, which he defined as "fake news," would follow and be banned as well.