WASHINGTON — Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico said they were denied access to the White House grounds Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump announced that his administration would ban the three organizations from the White House. MS NOW, formerly known as MSNBC, said its journalists were turned away. Reporter Akayla Gardner said on air that an officer told her to surrender her press badge because it had been disabled. When Gardner asked why she could not enter, she said the officer replied that the decision was “above him.” An MS NOW producer was allowed onto the grounds, the network said. CNN reporter Betsy Klein also said she was refused entry and that a Secret Service agent took her badge without explaining why it had been deactivated. Klein has covered the White House, at least intermittently, since the Obama administration. She was directed to the White House press office, she said. Politico editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger told staff that White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied entry as well. He said the organization would stand behind Haslett and continue defending its First Amendment rights. Trump announced the ban Friday in a post on Truth Social, accusing CNN, Politico and MS NOW of reporting “FICTION and LIES.” At a press conference later that day, he rejected the suggestion that the move was intended to intimidate journalists and said he objected to what he described as dishonest and consistently negative coverage of his administration. Trump said no single report prompted the decision, describing it instead as the result of frustration that had accumulated over two years. He also warned that additional news organizations could face similar treatment. CNN said it has a constitutional right to report on the government without interference and would not be deterred from scrutinizing the administration. MS NOW said the White House belongs to the public and that it would take steps to protect independent journalism. Jacqui Heinrich, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, called on the administration to restore the journalists’ access immediately. She said courts have repeatedly held that once the White House grants journalists access, officials cannot withdraw it arbitrarily or because of the content of their reporting. Theodore Boutrous, a prominent First Amendment attorney, said the ban appeared unconstitutional on its face. The dispute follows other clashes between Trump and news organizations over access. In 2025, the administration barred an Associated Press reporter from two official events after the news service declined to use the administration’s preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico. During Trump’s first term, the White House revoked the press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta. Courts sided with the journalists in both disputes, although the AP case remains under appeal. The confrontation is unfolding during a midterm election season in which Democrats have held an advantage in polling and Trump has faced political pressure over the war in the Middle East, high costs and proposals affecting the Kennedy Center. Restrictions on access to presidential officials can limit the public’s ability to independently evaluate government decisions, particularly when those decisions involve taxpayer-funded programs and public institutions.