Barack Obama criticized Republicans for failing to challenge Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, saying that excluding news outlets this way is incompatible with democracy and should not be a partisan issue.
Trump announced the ban on Truth Social on Friday, calling the outlets’ coverage “FAKE NEWS.” The White House later described the restriction as a national-security measure. CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued, arguing it violated the First and Fifth Amendments; they cited Trump’s statements as evidence the move was driven by anger at unfavorable coverage rather than genuine security or logistical concerns.
Most Republicans in Congress either stayed silent or defended the ban. Sen. Ron Johnson said he understood why Trump did not want outlets he accused of aiding enemies in his workspace; Sen. John Barrasso said the press must report fairly. The White House referred The Daily Beast to Trump’s Truth Social posts and claimed the ban was “nothing new,” citing Obama’s time in the White House. Obama did not ban outlets; the closest parallel was a brief 2009 Treasury Department exclusion of Fox News from a group interview, reversed after other outlets objected.
