Freedom of the Press Foundation's Seth Stern calls the ban a "blatant violation of the First Amendment"
Freedom of the Press FoundationPress-freedom nonprofit, in a press release by chief of advocacy Seth Stern
In a press release, Freedom of the Press Foundation advocacy chief Seth Stern said it is difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than banning news outlets from the White House for criticizing the government, and that it is also hard to imagine a dumber move.
“It’s difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than Trump banning news outlets from the People’s House for criticizing the government. It’s also hard to imagine a dumber move.”
Official statement
Other statements by Freedom of the Press Foundation 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 foundation's own press release.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The foundation issued the release on September 18, the day Trump announced the exclusion.
After the quotation
The release adds that the press must keep fighting for access to public records and whistleblowers, and that reporters "can take a break from getting lied to and insulted at the White House".
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The foundation condemns the exclusion as a blatant First Amendment violation. The closest competing label is minimizes, because Stern also says it is a "dumber move" that will not help Trump. That loses because his first sentence calls the act a blatant constitutional violation, which is condemnation rather than downplaying.
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- Donald Trump
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The White House
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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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- Freedom of the Press Foundation's Seth Stern calls the ban a "blatant violation of the First Amendment"
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The Dispute Index. "Freedom of the Press Foundation's Seth Stern calls the ban a "blatant violation of the First Amendment"". First published: 2026-09-19. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1149-in-a-press-release-freedom-of-the-press