Chris Coons calls Trump’s announcement on CNN, MS NOW and Politico “the behavior of an authoritarian”
United States senator from Delaware, posting on his official Bluesky account
“Trump is once again trying to use the power of the presidency to punish a free press, now banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. That is the behavior of an authoritarian, and we must defend the press' right to hold those in power accountable.”
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Read through the public Bluesky API (com.atproto.identity.resolveHandle, then app.bsky.feed.getPostThread for rkey 3mvsxrmpkwc25) on 2026-09-19 about 9:09 AM EDT; bsky.app itself was not opened. The post is a quote-post of Aaron Rupar's Bluesky post at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsulb7yc225 (created 2026-09-18T19:09:07Z), which carries Trump's announcement as text and an image. The same words also appear on Coons's Facebook page and Threads account (seen in search results only, not opened).
Reporting
About this source
Opened in full on 2026-09-19 (HTTP 200); published 2026-09-18T23:04:30Z per the page's structured data. Quotes the post in full, matching the Bluesky text. Yahoo News (Howard Koplowitz, published 2026-09-18T20:31Z) also quotes it and was opened.
Reporting
About this source
Opened in full on 2026-09-19 (HTTP 200); published 2026-09-18T19:40Z and updated 2026-09-19T02:12Z per the page's structured data. Used only for the context sentences, not for Coons's words.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
At 3:04 PM EDT on Sept. 18, 2026, Trump wrote on Truth Social that, effective immediately, he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House as a result of their coverage, and CNN reported he took reporters’ questions about it at an Oval Office event that afternoon. Coons’s post quotes an Aaron Rupar post, made at 3:09 PM EDT, that relays the announcement.
After the quotation
CNN reported that the White House Press Office, asked for comment on Trump’s post, referred to his Oval Office remarks, and that CNN reporters remained in their White House workspace into Friday evening with no indication the administration had taken steps to follow through. The Guardian reported that Trump’s move drew swift condemnation from Democrats and free speech groups, citing Coons’s post.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should President Trump bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over their coverage?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case’s fixed reference point is President Trump’s announcement, by Truth Social post at 3:04 PM EDT on Sept. 18, 2026 and reaffirmed in the Oval Office that afternoon, that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House because of their coverage. Coons’s post says Trump is “trying to use the power of the presidency to punish a free press, now banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House” and calls that “the behavior of an authoritarian,” which rejects the act itself. The closest competing label is challenges_characterization, because he recasts the announcement as punishment of a free press rather than a response to coverage. That loses because he goes on to condemn the conduct in plain terms and to call for defending the press’s right to hold power accountable.
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Should President Trump bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over their coverage?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full caseMS NOW
“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.”Read statement
The White House
“The White House declined to comment further Saturday, referring NBC News to Trump’s previous comments.”Read statement
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“When the White House opens its doors to the press, it must comply with the First Amendment. The president is as free as any other person to criticize media coverage. But he can’t ban outlets from the White House just because he doesn’t like their reporting or commentary.”Read statement