Freedom of the Press Foundation's Seth Stern calls the ban a "blatant violation of the First Amendment"
Press-freedom nonprofit, in a press release by chief of advocacy Seth Stern
“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.”
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
The foundation's own press release, read in full on freedom.press.
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
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 on September 18, 2026 that CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House because of their coverage, as reaffirmed in the Oval Office that afternoon. 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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- People and groups discussed
- Donald Trump
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