Trump bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House ‘effective
Progressive policy ambitions meet practical realities as Americans weigh costs and consequences.
The White House press pass is a privilege, not a constitutional right. Somewhere along the way, the big TV networks and the fancy print shops convinced themselves otherwise. They treat the briefing room like a permanent entitlement, as if the First Amendment came with a reserved seat and a Wi-Fi password.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
The action, which if imposed would spark lawsuits, follows years of more selective discrimination against outlets by both Democratic and Republican administrations, which limited access to events but stopped short of a ban on working from Whtie House grounds.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The White House press pass is a privilege, not a constitutional right. Somewhere along the way, the big TV networks and the fancy print shops convinced themselves otherwise. They treat the briefing room like a permanent entitlement, as if the First Amendment came with a reserved seat and a Wi-Fi password. It doesn't. And President Trump just showed them the door.
Look at what these outlets actually are. CNN spent years turning every conservative into a conspiracy theorist. MSNBC is a Democratic Party infomercial with a news graphics budget. Politico leaks government gossip to the left and then pretends it's doing journalism. The old line used to be that they were biased but professional. That's generous now. They stopped being reporters the moment they started playing opposition instead of asking questions.
We're supposed to act shocked that a president would ban them. Please. Every administration picks who gets close access. Democrats and Republicans alike have quietly managed the press pool for decades, just never with this much boldness. The difference is Trump is saying the quiet part out loud: these outlets are not covering the White House, they're camping outside it to attack it. If they want to report, they can do it from the sidewalk. No one is owed a desk inside the building.
Will there be lawsuits? Sure. Let them sue. The First Amendment protects their right to publish, not their right to be embedded with the president. A functioning democracy doesn't need to fund its own critics with prime real estate on Pennsylvania Avenue. The press corps will scream about transparency while missing the actual point. Access is earned, not demanded. And for years, these organizations spent their access on hostility and bad faith. Now they can enjoy the view from outside.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.