Vice President JD Vance defended President Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House, telling Newsmax on Monday that the administration is not preventing the outlets from reporting but is refusing to give them “special access” because of what he called dishonest coverage. “It’s not a ban. It’s the refusal to grant special access to people who are engaged in dishonest reporting,” Vance told “Greg Kelly Reports” from North Carolina before a rally for U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley.
Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS Now, and Politico were banned from the White House “effective immediately,” accusing the outlets of reporting “FICTION and LIES.” Reporters for all three organizations were denied access to the White House grounds Saturday after their passes were deactivated. CNN, MS Now, and Politico sued the Trump administration Monday, arguing that their exclusion based on the content of their reporting violates the First Amendment. The lawsuit also alleges that the administration violated their Fifth Amendment due process rights by revoking access without notice or an opportunity to respond. Vance told Newsmax that an “honest news media” is necessary but accused some major outlets of acting as partisan organizations.
