AFPC-USA Condemns President Trump's Ban of CNN, Politico, MS Now from White House

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) spoke out after President Donald Trump announced he had officially banned CNN, Poltico, and MS Now from the White House over what he called "dishonest press."

Trump hinted that more press bans could be coming. The news outlets have already filed suit in a bid to overturn the ban.

The complete statement is below.

President Trump’s decision to ban CNN, Politico and MS Now from the White House brings to mind a quote from one of his predecessors:  "One of the first institutions to be attacked by tyrants, whether they're dictators of the left or right, is the press.” Ronald Reagan said this in 1985. Yet here we are.

President Trump is ramping up his attacks on the free press. In explaining his ban on Friday, he bemoaned “unfavorable coverage” and described his move as “a ban on the free press”, suggesting other outlets might also be prohibited.

The US Constitution protects the media from government interference. This protection is not conditioned on whether an outlet’s coverage is deemed agreeable.

This is a flagrant assault on the free press and an attempt to undermine any scrutiny of Trump. The White House should immediately reverse the ban; the AFPC-USA supports the journalists impacted by this egregious action.