An MS NOW reporter said her White House pass was confiscated on Saturday morning

On Saturday, September 19, 2026, MS NOW White House reporter Akayla Gardner reported live near the White House complex, stating she was denied entry. This incident occurred a day after President Donald Trump declared a ban on MS NOW, CNN, and Politico from the White House grounds, citing their unfavorable coverage and labeling it 'fake news.' Trump made this announcement on his Truth Social platform and later reiterated his stance in the Oval Office, stating that he was tired of 'fake news' from these outlets.

MS NOW confirmed that its journalists were denied access, calling the White House's actions an escalation of Trump's efforts to restrict news coverage he finds objectionable. The network released a statement asserting its commitment to defending its First Amendment rights and the vital role of independent journalism, noting that the White House belongs to the American people and is funded by tax dollars.

This move has been widely criticized as a potential violation of First Amendment protections. The White House Correspondents Association expressed support for the journalists, and legal experts, such as Bruce Brown of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, deemed such a ban 'flatly unconstitutional' and an act of 'viewpoint discrimination' that would likely be overturned by courts. Politico and CNN also vowed to vigorously defend their First Amendment rights, with CNN calling the ban an 'illegal assault' on U.S. press freedom.

Despite Trump's announcement on Friday, journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were initially still present on the White House grounds. However, by Saturday morning, MS NOW journalists, including Akayla Gardner, were actively being blocked from entry. It remained unclear whether CNN journalists were also experiencing similar restrictions, though they are typically present on weekends when the president is in Washington or at Camp David, where Trump was located this weekend.

Reports circulated on Friday of a video showing activity around media positions, with speculation that CNN and MS NOW journalists were being removed, though CNN later stated there was no indication that the ban had been implemented that evening. The situation represents a significant test of press freedom and the boundaries of presidential power in regulating media access.