MS Now denied access to White House grounds as Trump enforces ban

MS Now said that two of its journalists were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump announced he was barring the network, CNN, and Politico from the White House.A reporter and photographer for MS Now were turned away Saturday morning as they arrived to work, the network said. The move marked the first reported enforcement of Trump’s announcement, which he made on Friday on Truth Social. MS Now White House reporter Akayla Gardner said her badge was denied Saturday morning when she attempted to scan into the White House grounds. She said an officer then took her badge, saying it was disabled. Gardner added that while she and an MS Now photographer were turned away, the MS Now producer’s badge worked, allowing her to enter the White House grounds.MS Now threatened to take action against Trump, saying his restrictions violated the First Amendment. “The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” MS Now said in a press statement. “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.”“We stand firmly behind our anchors, our reporters, and our newsroom,” it added. “We will continue to report on the President, the administration, and the issues that impact the American people.”Trump said Friday that he was banning MS Now, CNN, and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of repeatedly reporting “fake news.”“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote. He added that other “Fake News Media Outlets” could face similar action. The president later acknowledged that the ban could face legal challenges, telling the Washington Examiner that “we’ll see” whether it survives in court. He argued that the White House should be able to restrict outlets that he believes publish false stories.CNN said it “stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” adding that if the ban goes forward, it would be an “illegal assault” on the press’s constitutionally protected rights.Politico also said it would continue covering the administration and “vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them.” The outlet separately disputed Trump’s claims that it received government subsidies, calling those claims false and saying they had been “thoroughly debunked.” The White House Correspondents’ Association also defended the three outlets, saying the Constitution protects freedom of the press from government interference and that those protections do not depend on whether a president agrees with a news organization’s coverage.“This is about more than the rights of journalists,” the White House Correspondents’ Association said. “It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office.” TRUMP GOT A SECOND CHANCE. HE’S WASTING ITTrump’s announcement initially created uncertainty over how the ban would be enforced. Journalists from all three outlets remained on White House grounds Friday afternoon, hours after Trump announced the restrictions. MS Now’s journalists being turned away on Saturday indicates the White House has begun enforcing the restrictions, though it remained unclear whether CNN and Politico journalists had also been denied access.