“MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.’ “the network said. (Credit: Facebook)
Trump Follows Up on Threats to CNN, MS NOW, Politico
“Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday, a day after President Trump announced a ban on three news organizations because of reporting he disliked,” Michael M. Grynbaum reported for the New York Times.
“ ‘The officer asked me to hand over my badge; he said that it was disabled,’ Ms. Gardner said in an on-air interview. ‘I asked why I could not get inside; he said it was above him.’
“A photographer for MS NOW was also asked to relinquish their badge, but a producer for the network was allowed into the White House, Ms. Gardner said.”
While the denial of access was not personally directed at Gardner, Trump called her “a dumb person” in May for accurately pointing out that the cost of his ballroom had doubled since it was first announced.
Gardner covered the Trump and Biden administrations for Bloomberg News before joining the cable network in August 2025.
At Bloombrge, Gardner was the first author of a weekly newsletter, “Washington Edition: Inside the White House,” was among the reporters accompanying then-vice president Kamala Harris on her 2024 trip to Africa, and during the 2022 midterms, covered the record number of Black and Latino Republicans running for Congress, among other assginments. The daughter of Jamaican immigratnts, Gardner revived the campus chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists while at Ohio State University, according to her bio.
Grynboum continued, “Betsy Klein, a veteran CNN correspondent, described a similar experience that occurred about an hour later. She said that a White House security officer, whom she has known for years, informed her that her badge had been deactivated.
“ ‘I asked if he had any more details he could share with me,’ Ms. Klein said in an on-air interview. ‘He said I should be referred to the White House press office for more information.’
“Cheyenne Haslett, a reporter at Politico, was also denied access to the White House on Saturday morning, according to a note to staff from Jonathan Greenberger, Politico’s editor in chief, that was described in the publication’s Playbook newsletter.
“Mr. Trump abruptly announced on Friday afternoon that he would ban MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House, a stark escalation in his ever-expanding battles with the news media.
“The president attributed the ban to his displeasure with the outlets’ coverage of his administration. ‘There’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories,’ Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon.”
The Associated Press reported, “MS NOW said in a statement that it stands behind its journalists.
“ ‘The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,’ the network said in a statement Saturday. ‘MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.’ ”
