Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration denies White House access to CNN and MS Now journalists despite federal court order — On Thursday evening, the Trump administration barred journalists from CNN and MS Now from covering a White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping, hours after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued an overnight order requiring the administration to restore press credentials to the three banned outlets (CNN, MS Now, Politico). CNN was permitted only a photojournalist and audio technician, excluding editorial staff. MS Now reporter Laura Barrón-López was denied credentials entirely. The administration had revoked the outlets' hard passes on Saturday, citing "fake news," but Kelly ruled the revocation violated due process and likely breached First Amendment protections.
• White House blocked CNN and MS NOW from state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping — On the evening of September 25, CNN and MS NOW were blocked from full access to the White House state dinner with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The White House told CNN it could send only an audio producer and a cameraman, not a reporter or producer. CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes stated the outlet was "specifically denied access" and that the White House was "not letting in the CNN editorial presence."

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• Trump posted digitally altered image on social media showing him with Xi Jinping — Trump posted an image on his social media account showing himself and Xi Jinping standing together on a red carpet in front of an airplane labeled Air China, with a military aircraft flying over a circle of stars and "Only Trump" superimposed in blackletter font. Journalist Aaron Rupar of Public Notice identified the image as digitally altered, with the chief officer of protocol Monica Crowley's image replaced by what appears to be Trump aide Natalie Harp.

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• ICE stopped publicly revealing locations of detainees subject to deportation orders — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding thousands of detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, according to the Associated Press. The policy change makes it harder for families and lawyers to locate detainees or file additional legal challenges.

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• Trump housing chief investigated Attorney General Todd Blanche's mortgage to pressure him into investigating Trump opponents — In 2025, Trump administration housing chief Bill Pulte looked into the mortgages of prominent Trump opponents including New York Attorney General Letitia James. According to officials who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, Pulte also investigated Attorney General Todd Blanche's mortgage while Blanche was deputy AG, in order to pressure him into more aggressively investigating Trump's opponents.

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• Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore White House press credentials to banned outlets — U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued an early-morning order on Thursday requiring the Trump administration to restore press credentials to journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico for a 14-day period. The judge found the administration likely violated due process and First Amendment protections when it revoked the outlets' hard passes on Saturday without advance notice or opportunity to be heard. Kelly ruled the standards cited by the White House were "so vague" as to be constitutionally inadequate and expressed skepticism that national security was the actual motivation, noting Trump's content-based statements about the ban. A hearing on a preliminary injunction was scheduled during the 14-day restoration period.
• Federal judge ordered White House to restore press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters — U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day restraining order requiring the White House to immediately restore press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters after Trump banned them. The judge found the news organizations were likely to succeed on their claim that their passes were revoked without due process. When reporters attempted to cover Trump's event with Chinese President Xi, they were initially denied access in defiance of the court order, prompting attorneys to file an emergency motion. The White House eventually admitted the reporters after other media outlets joined a boycott.
• U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted media outlets' request to block Trump's White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico — After a hearing on Trump's Friday ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House campus, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly (appointed by Trump in 2017) granted the media outlets' request for a temporary restraining order, finding that the administration's national security justification was pretextual. Kelly noted that the stories the White House objected to were "routine" and that one was based on a White House press call. Kelly ordered the credentials of 78 journalists restored immediately.

Supporting reports

• White House denied access to reporters in defiance of court order — Despite the federal court's overnight restraining order, White House staff denied access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters when they arrived to cover Trump's event with Chinese President Xi on the morning of September 24. The denial occurred in direct defiance of the judicial order. Attorneys for the media companies filed an emergency motion requesting an expedited hearing, which was granted and scheduled for 12:45 p.m. The White House eventually admitted the reporters just before the emergency hearing was set to begin.
• White House continued to deny CNN, Politico, and MS NOW access despite court order — Despite Judge Kelly's order restoring journalist credentials, the White House continued to deny reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW access to the White House campus on the morning of September 25. The outlets' lawyers requested an emergency hearing, citing repeated violations of the court's order. After the judge ordered the administration to respond, the reporters were allowed back into the area.

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• White House justified press ban by accusing Politico of threatening national security — The White House press office dispatched a letter to Politico attempting to justify the president's ban on the news organization. In the letter, made public through a government court filing, the White House accused Politico of publishing stories that "have threatened national security and/or spread falsehoods." The White House singled out six stories, including a June 2026 article citing a "senior admin official" who assessed the odds of a U.S.-Iran deal at 80-85%. That official was identified as Vice President JD Vance speaking on a background call with reporters authorized by the White House.

Supporting reports

• David Ellison reportedly pledged to reshape CNN editorial direction to secure Trump administration support for merger — According to reporting in the article, David Ellison told Trump administration officials that "he'd make sweeping changes to CNN" as part of his campaign to win Trump's support for the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. This statement, made prior to the settlement, indicates that editorial changes at CNN were explicitly tied to securing political backing for the transaction. The article also notes that since Ellison took over CBS News in August 2025, the network's news coverage has shifted to the right.
• Paramount-Warner Bros. merger consent decree establishes Editorial Independence Board with no independent authority — The settlement between state attorneys general and Paramount includes creation of an "Editorial Independence Board" tasked with monitoring editorial independence at CBS News and CNN. However, all five board members are selected by the combined entity's board of directors, which is fully controlled by David Ellison and his father Larry Ellison (77.5% voting shares). The board has no enforcement power and can only "resolve disputes" regarding alleged violations of editorial principles, with no mechanism specified for how such resolution occurs. The structure ensures that an Ellison-controlled board selects monitors of Ellison's editorial conduct.

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• Trump administration bans CNN, MS Now, and Politico from White House — The Trump administration banned CNN, MS Now, and Politico from White House access. In response, competing television networks suspended shared coverage of the president's events, creating rare solidarity among rival outlets. The ban prompted former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson to call on journalists to collectively resist what she characterized as an "outright onslaught" from the administration, including Trump's documented pattern of insulting female reporters with derogatory language.
• White House revoked press credentials for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW — The White House revoked press credentials for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW after aide Natalie Harp reportedly showed Trump stories that angered him. The revocation followed the aide's curation of news coverage, suggesting retaliation for unfavorable reporting. This action restricts press access to the White House and signals potential use of credential revocation as a tool to punish critical coverage.

Supporting reports

• ProPublica investigation reveals bribery scheme involving Sen. Susan Collins and defense contractor Navatek — ProPublica published an investigation detailing allegations that Sen. Susan Collins steered millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek in exchange for illegal campaign contributions funneled through shell companies. Navatek CEO Martin Kao was indicted in 2022 for making illegal campaign contributions after the FBI discovered the scheme. Kao told the FBI the arrangement involved a pay-to-play operation spanning dozens of politicians. The FBI had assembled evidence for a sweeping bribery probe by end of 2024, but the investigation was halted after Trump returned to the White House and dismantled specialized FBI and DOJ public corruption units.
• FBI investigation into Senator Susan Collins shut down — ProPublica reported that the FBI had evidence Senator Susan Collins participated in a pay-to-play scheme, and that the investigation was shut down after Trump took office. The closure of the investigation into a sitting senator suggests potential interference with law enforcement independence and selective application of accountability.
• FBI anti-corruption investigators fired after investigating Senator Collins for pay-to-play scheme — ProPublica reported that the FBI's anti-corruption group was investigating Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for a pay-to-play scheme in which defense contractor Navatek made illegal donations to her 2020 campaign and later received multimillion-dollar government contracts. When Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he fired the investigators building the case and largely stopped investigating public corruption. Collins's office admitted the campaign disgorged illegal contributions but denied knowledge of the arrangement, though emails suggest otherwise.
• FBI investigation into Senator Susan Collins' steering of defense contracts was halted after Trump purged public corruption unit — In 2020, the FBI launched an investigation into the relationship between a former defense contractor CEO and Senator Susan Collins' staff, with ProPublica reporting that "the senator's office steered government contracts worth millions toward the company while her campaign was pumping [the CEO] and his network for donations." After Trump began his second term in 2025, he purged the FBI unit working on public corruption investigations, effectively halting the probe.

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• Federal lawsuit filed challenging White House press ban — On September 21, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a federal lawsuit challenging the White House's ban on their journalists. The organizations argue that the exclusions violate First Amendment rights and are retaliatory based on their reporting. The Trump administration contends that White House access is a privilege tied to national security, not a constitutional right. Federal Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, is scheduled to hear the news organizations' emergency request for temporary restoration of access on September 23 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
• CNN, MS Now, and Politico file federal lawsuit challenging White House journalist ban — Three news organizations filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the Trump administration seeking a temporary restraining order to block enforcement of the journalist ban and restore press credentials. The lawsuit argued the ban violated First Amendment rights to free press and access to government information. The suit came after Secret Service confiscated press badges from reporters on Saturday following Trump's announcement of the ban via Truth Social.
• CNN, MSNBC, and Politico file lawsuit challenging media ban — On September 21, CNN, MSNBC, and Politico filed a federal lawsuit against Trump, communications director Steven Cheung, Secret Service director Sean Curran, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, alleging violations of the First and Fifth Amendments. The lawsuit characterizes the ban as retaliation for negative news coverage and states that Trump banned the outlets because he deemed their reporting "negative" and to chill future reporting about his administration. The plaintiffs seek restoration of their press credentials for White House coverage.
• Judge Timothy Kelly assigned to media ban lawsuit — U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed to the bench by Trump in 2017, was assigned to hear the lawsuit filed by CNN, MSNBC, and Politico challenging the White House media ban. Judge Kelly ordered the government to respond to the lawsuit by the following day and scheduled a hearing for Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Trump responded by complaining that the outlets "have drawn a great Judge, for them, a man who ruled in favor of Jim Acosta" in 2018, and vowed to appeal any adverse ruling.
• CNN, MS Now, and Politico sue Trump administration over White House press badge revocation — Three major news organizations filed a federal lawsuit in US District Court for Washington DC on Monday, September 21, seeking to regain White House access after their journalists' credentials were revoked on Saturday. The revocation followed Trump's announcement via Truth Social that the outlets would lose access due to their coverage. The plaintiffs argue the ban violates the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment, claiming retaliation based on viewpoint and lack of due process. They seek a temporary restraining order to immediately restore access while litigation proceeds.
• Complaint filed: Cable News Network, Inc. v. Trump (D.D.C. 1:26-cv-03287) — CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), and POLITICO, along with three of their White House correspondents, filed a complaint in D.D.C. challenging President Trump's Sept. 18, 2026 ban on the three news organizations from White House grounds. The ban was announced as retaliation for "FAKE NEWS" reporting and took effect Sept. 19, 2026, when Secret Service officers denied entry and confiscated press credentials. Plaintiffs allege violations of the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause (deprivation of liberty and property interests without notice or hearing) and the First Amendment (unlawful retaliation against protected speech and viewpoint discrimination). They seek declaratory and injunctive relief, including immediate restoration of credentials and access.
• MS NOW, CNN, and Politico filed lawsuit against Trump's White House press ban — Three major news outlets filed a federal lawsuit challenging Trump's total ban on their access to the White House. The lawsuit argues the ban violates the First Amendment and constitutional principles protecting press credentials and access. The outlets contend that while presidents may disagree with coverage, the Constitution protects news organizations' liberty and property interests in press credentials and the access they afford for public benefit.

Supporting reports

• White House launches "Trump TV" feed as alternative to independent news coverage — After major networks suspended pool coverage in protest of the journalist ban, the White House promoted its own online video feed branded "Trump TV," featuring administration-selected content with messaging emphasizing direct delivery "straight from the Trump Administration" without "noise." The feed was positioned as an alternative to independent news coverage, allowing the administration to control the narrative and distribution of presidential imagery and announcements.
• White House launches "TRUMP TV" streaming channel — On September 21, the White House YouTube channel announced the launch of "TRUMP TV: The Essentials Station" scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. The channel disabled the comment feature, preventing viewer interaction or criticism. The launch followed Trump's ban on major news outlets and the networks' refusal to provide press pool coverage, representing an attempt to bypass traditional media and deliver unfiltered messaging directly to the public.
• White House launches Trump TV streaming channel — Hours after the September 21 lawsuit was filed, the White House launched Trump TV, a 24-hour YouTube stream featuring presidential speeches and administration highlights. The channel provides government-selected programming as an alternative to independent news coverage. Unlike independent journalism, Trump TV's content is curated by the Trump administration and does not include investigation of official claims, questioning of officials, or reporting of information absent from official communications.

Supporting reports

• White House promotes official mobile application for news distribution — The White House promoted "The White House App" on social media, advertising it as a way to "[g]et real-time updates and live events streamed DIRECTLY to your phone. No noise. Just the news that matters most—straight from the Trump Administration." The promotion occurred after Trump banned major news outlets and launched a government-controlled television channel. Users responded critically, with comments expressing concerns about government surveillance and the app functioning as propaganda or spyware.
• White House App Hits No. 1 in News and Cracks App Store Top 20 as Americans Tune Out Fake News — The White House published this release on 2026-09-23 through its releases channel.

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• Trump responded to press ban lawsuit on Truth Social — Trump posted a response to the lawsuit on Truth Social, stating the White House is not assaulting the free press but rather assaulting "FAKE NEWS," which he characterized as corrupt, coordinated, out of control, and a threat to national security that "must be stopped, NOW."

Supporting reports

• Trump dismisses AI safety concerns and calls regulation a hoax — Trump has repeatedly characterized concerns about artificial intelligence dangers as a "hoax" and a "scam," arguing that government already possesses sufficient regulatory authority over tech companies. This stance contradicts positions held by his own party members, AI company leaders, and the broader scientific community calling for AI safety measures and oversight.

Supporting reports

• Trump announced ban of CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House — Trump announced that CNN, MSNBC, and Politico are banned from the White House "effective immediately," accusing them of reporting what he calls "fake news." Reuters reported that Trump said the ban could extend to additional news organizations. Trump told reporters "I don't want them here" and said he would take the ban "as far as you can." The administration has not explained how the restriction would work, and the Associated Press reported that journalists from the affected outlets remained on White House grounds Friday afternoon.
• Trump bans MS Now, CNN, and Politico reporters from White House grounds — President Trump ordered the removal of reporters from MS Now, CNN, and Politico from White House grounds, effective immediately, citing what he claimed was constant "fake news" reporting. On Saturday morning, journalists from these outlets were denied access and had their press passes confiscated by the Secret Service at security gates. Trump stated the decision was "cumulative" over two years and said he was considering banning additional outlets. The White House Correspondents' Association and press freedom advocates condemned the action as unconstitutional.
• Secret Service confiscates press badges and denies White House access — On September 19, reporters from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico attempting to enter the White House press complex were denied entry by security personnel, and Secret Service agents confiscated their press credentials. This enforcement action followed Trump's announcement the previous day banning the three outlets from White House facilities.
• Trump banned CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House — Trump issued a directive banning CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House. The ban surprised many senior Trump staffers, who learned of it only through Trump's Truth Social post while Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was out of town. The press shop was initially blindsided and unsure how to respond. A source close to the White House confirmed the ban is "real and permanent as far as POTUS is concerned." Discussions were already underway about adding more news organizations, with Trump specifically citing the New York Times and Washington Post as possible additions.