DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow turns the argument back on the sender: Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov emphasizes that Russia "does not do that" with the media, while Washington bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The judicial case was assigned to Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by Trump, who had already ordered in 2018 the reinstatement of Jim Acosta's (CNN) accreditation, according to Sputnik.
- 02
ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC refused to broadcast Trump's events live and the television pool was absent from the presidential trip to New York for the UN General Assembly, reports TASS.
- 03
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov stated that "in Russia, it is not customary to act this way" with the media and that the authorities "work with all media outlets", according to Vedomosti.
ANALYSIS
Moscow, September 22, 2026. The Russian press, via RT, Sputnik, TASS, and Vedomosti, is providing extensive coverage of the confrontation between Donald Trump and three American media outlets, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, which have been banned from the White House since September 18. The three editorial offices filed a lawsuit with the federal court in Washington on Monday, citing the First Amendment, and are seeking a temporary restraining order before the hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The case has been assigned to Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by Trump, who had previously ordered the reinstatement of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's accreditation in 2018, according to Sputnik.
On Truth Social, quoted by Vedomosti, Donald Trump promises to appeal if the decision is unfavorable to him and describes the targeted media as "third-rate clowns" who "sully" the Oval Office with "distorted" information. He claims that almost all the articles published by these editorial offices remain critical despite his "great achievements" and presents fake news as a threat to American democracy. TASS recalls that Trump had hinted as early as September 18 that the list of banned media outlets could still be extended, while reserving the possibility of reversing his decision.
On the same day, TASS reports that the major networks of the presidential pool - ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC - have refused to broadcast Trump's events live in protest, a boycott that excluded the pool's television channel that accompanied the president to New York for the UN General Assembly. The White House responded by launching "Trump TV", a continuous YouTube stream broadcast since Monday at 7 pm (Washington time), opened with a speech by the president at Mount Rushmore and presented by his services as bringing together "the greatest moments" of the administration.
When asked on September 22, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Trump's decision, stating that "in Russia, it is not customary to act in this way" and that the authorities "work with all media outlets", according to Vedomosti. This official comment, widely reported, allows the Russian press to compare the restrictions decreed in Washington with the usual American discourse on press freedom.
