White House Correspondents' Association says press freedom does not depend on whether the president likes the coverage
White House Correspondents' AssociationAssociation representing the White House press corps, in a statement signed by its president, Jacqui Heinrich
In a statement signed by its president, Jacqui Heinrich, the White House Correspondents' Association said the Constitution protects the press from government interference regardless of whether the president likes a news organization's coverage, that the issue is the public's right to an independent account of a president's decisions, and that it stands in defense of colleagues at CNN, MSNOW and Politico "who are being singled out for doing their jobs".
“The Constitution protects the freedom of the press from government interference. That protection does not depend on whether the president likes a news organization’s coverage, agrees with its reporting, or approves of the questions its journalists ask. This is about more than the rights of journalists. It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office. The WHCA stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MSNOW, and POLITICO who are being singled out for doing their jobs.”
Official statement
Original video
Original post
Other statements by White House Correspondents' Association in this case
Where this statement fits
Should President Trump bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over their coverage?
On Friday, September 18, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that, "effective immediately, I am banning" CNN, MS NOW and Politico "from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!" About an hour later, in the Oval Office, he said no particular story prompted the decision, that he does not want the outlets "in my office," and that "somebody has a right to keep them away" if outlets write false stories. The three outlets and press-freedom groups oppose the exclusion, citing constitutional protection for the press, and the White House Correspondents' Association said it "stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MSNOW, and POLITICO." On Saturday, September 19, MS NOW, CNN and Politico said their White House reporters were refused entry and had press passes confiscated; the White House referred questions to Trump's earlier remarks. The dispute is over whether President Trump should exclude named news organizations from White House access over what they report.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
The association's own statement. The statement's first sentence is the association's characterization of Trump's words and is not part of the quotation.
Original video
About this source
Official White House video of the President's health-care event in the Oval Office on September 18, 2026, which began at about 3:38 PM EDT and ran 56 minutes. The quoted wording is our transcription of the video audio. Transcription adds punctuation but no words. Different transcriptions render the reporter's question slightly differently (for example "bans in the media outlets" versus "the ban on the media outlets"), so Trump may have been echoing its wording.
A reporter asks President Trump what the ban on news organizations means, and Trump answers, at the Sept. 18, 2026 White House healthcare announcement.
Excerpt from 53:13 to 54:01 of the White House video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: The White House. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 53:15-53:59 of the White House video (question about what the ban means; Trump's answer))
Original post
About this source
Posted 22:37:25 UTC on September 18, 2026. The post is a quote-post: the first three sentences are Roberts's own and the remaining text is the quoted post by Jacqui Heinrich (https://x.com/JacquiHeinrich/status/2101076038176342376) reproducing the WHCA statement.
Before the quotation
The statement, issued on the evening of September 18, says Trump "said it plainly in the Oval Office, describing his own planned action as a 'ban on the free press.'" In the White House video a reporter asked what the ban means in practice, and Trump began his answer "Oh, the ban on the free press, right?" before calling it "a very simple ban".
After the quotation
Fox News's John Roberts quote-posted a post by Heinrich reproducing the statement on X the same evening.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The association, which represents the White House press corps, rejects the exclusion and defends the targeted outlets. The closest competing label is “Challenged the characterization”, because the statement's first sentence disputes how Trump described his own action. That loses because the statement goes on to defend the outlets and assert a constitutional bar on the conduct.
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- Donald Trump
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“No person and no journalist has a constitutional right to access to the President's Oval Office, Air Force One, or other sensitive and private facilities.”Read statement
Schiff says White House press exclusions also harm the public
“When a reporter is denied access to the White House, it isn't just that news organization that suffers. The American people rely on a free press to know what their government is up to, and whether it is acting wisely and lawfully.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "White House Correspondents' Association says press freedom does not depend on whether the president likes the coverage". First published: 2026-09-19. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1146-in-a-statement-signed-by-its-president-jacqui