Trump tells MS NOW's Akayla Gardner to "be quiet" and calls her network "fake news"
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking to reporters outside the White House
Asked by MS NOW's Akayla Gardner whether he only wanted outlets that support him in the White House press pool and whether he wanted tough questions, Trump said he wanted "real news, not fake news," told her to "be quiet," and called her network fake news.
“No, no, no. I want real news, not fake news — like you. I want- Listen. I want real news. I love an open, free press. What I don't like is the fake… Wait, wait, be quiet. What I don't like is fake news. And they're fake news.”
Reporting
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
Reporting
About this source
Report on an exchange outside the White House on Saturday, September 26, the day after CNN was dropped from the Air Force One pool for Trump's Tennessee trip. MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner asked Trump whether he only wanted outlets that support him in the press pool and whether he wanted tough questions; Trump told her to "be quiet" and called her network "fake news." Includes an embedded video clip of the exchange.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The exchange came the day after the White House dropped CNN from the television pool covering Trump's trip to Tennessee.
After the quotation
Trump was separately asked that day about Obama's remarks on women in government and called them "ridiculous."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Trump's decision to exclude CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House access because of their coverage, he responds to a question about that policy by saying he wants only "real news" and calling MS NOW fake news, defending the basis for the exclusion. We labeled it Defended or excused.
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- The Dispute Index
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- Trump tells MS NOW's Akayla Gardner to "be quiet" and calls her network "fake news"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/3077-asked-by-ms-now-s-akayla-gardner-whether
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Trump tells MS NOW's Akayla Gardner to "be quiet" and calls her network "fake news"". First published: 2026-09-28. Last updated: 2026-09-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/3077-asked-by-ms-now-s-akayla-gardner-whether