MS NOW says its journalists were denied access to White House after Trump announced ban

MS NOW said Saturday that its journalists have been denied access to the White House grounds, a day after President Donald Trump said on a social media he had banned the news outlet alongside CNN and Politico over what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.”

“The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS NOW said in a statement posted on X.

“MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalists in our democracy,” it added. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press.

MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said her White House badge did not work when she arrived Saturday morning.

“The officer asked me to hand over my badge,” she said on air. “He said that it was disabled. I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was above him.”

A MS NOW photographer was also denied access, Gardner said, while one of the network’s producers was allowed onto the White House grounds. It was not immediately clear why their access differed.

The White House declined to…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business