DOMINANT ANGLE
Brasília is deciphering the CNN-Politico-MS Now affair as the most concrete test of the first amendment's protections against an executive ready to transform presidential access into a revocable privilege.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
CNN, MS Now, and Politico announced on Monday, September 21, a lawsuit against the Trump government before a federal judge of the Washington district court, citing the First Amendment.
- 02
The White House justifies the ban by citing a report from the Media Research Center according to which 92% of the coverage of the first 100 days of Trump's second term was negative.
- 03
Five television networks (ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, NBC) suspended their joint White House coverage on Monday, Fox News - an ally of the government - co-signing the joint statement of protest.
ANALYSIS
Brasília, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. The Brazilian press is detailing the escalation between the White House and three American editorial offices, described as a test of the protections of the First Amendment in the face of an executive ready to treat presidential access as a revocable privilege.
On Monday, September 21, CNN, MS Now, and Politico announced, in a joint statement, that they would be taking legal action against the Trump government: "This morning, we notified the government that we are taking legal action today to protect our rights (...) and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes." The case will go before a federal judge in the Washington district court, with possible hearings as early as this week, according to CNN.
The origin of the conflict dates back to Friday, September 18: Trump announced the ban on access to the White House for the three media outlets, accused without evidence of fabricating lies. On Saturday, September 19, the journalists concerned — including Betsy Klein (CNN), Akayla Gardner (MS Now), and Cheyenne Haslett (Politico) — were denied entry, their accreditations deactivated or confiscated.
Trump doubled down on Monday on Truth Social, writing that his administration is not waging "an assault on the free press" but "an assault on FAKE NEWS, which have proliferated like a cancer," qualified as "a threat to our national security." The White House specified that access to presidential locations is a "privilege, not a right," citing a report from the Media Research Center according to which 92% of the coverage of the first 100 days of the second term would have been negative.
The backlash has gone beyond the three targeted media outlets: with CNN having lost its turn in the presidential pool, five channels — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC — suspended their joint coverage on Monday. Notably, as reported by the Brazilian press, Fox News, an ally of the administration, co-signed the joint statement: "The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate and independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a media outlet because it disagrees with its coverage."
The same evening, the White House launched "Trump TV" on YouTube, a 24/7 channel that rebroadcast the inauguration ceremony of January 20, 2025. The Brazilian press recalls a precedent: the Associated Press had already been excluded from the Oval Office and Air Force One last year.
