Bernie Sanders
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Vermont, in a public statement reported by The New York Times
Condemned
Statement summary
Sanders said the press exclusions undermined the First Amendment, the Constitution and democracy, and called them authoritarian.
“We will not allow Trump to undermine the First Amendment, the Constitution and our democracy. We will not accept authoritarianism.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Live updates: CNN, Politico and MS NOW reporters barred from White House · The New York TimesLive coverage updated through September 19, 2026, 5:48 PM ET; reaction roundup and legal-challenge updates
The Times's live report attributes statements to White House communications director Steven Cheung, Senator Bernie Sanders and commentator Benny Johnson while covering enforcement of the ban.
Why we used this label
Sanders directly opposes the conduct as an attack on constitutional press freedom and characterizes it as authoritarian.