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Donald Trump's White House media ban was enforced Saturday as reporters from three outlets were denied entry.

Sept. 19 2026, Published 2:50 p.m. ET

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MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said her White House badge flashed red when she attempted to enter.

The consequences of the announcement became apparent on Saturday when MS NOW White House reporter Akayla Gardner arrived for work and discovered that her credential would not allow her through the entrance.

Gardner said she had already made it through two security checkpoints before reaching the location where her White House badge needed to be scanned.

"I attempted to scan my badge, which we have to do to be able to get into the White House grounds; it did not work," she said on air. "There was a red beeping light, and so the officer asked me to hand over my badge; he said that it was disabled."

Gardner said she then questioned the security officer about why she was being prevented from entering.

"I asked why I was not able to get inside," she said. "He said it was above him, and then our producer, after me, also scanned her badge."

According to Gardner, the producer's credentials remained active and she was permitted to enter, while Gardner was left outside.

"Yesterday our journalists were able to stay here working on the White House grounds," Gardner said. "This is the first action that we know of, of them actually denying us entry into the White House."

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CNN reporter Betsy Klein was reportedly denied entry to the White House Saturday morning.

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Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also turned away after Donald Trump announced the media ban.

CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein was also denied access Saturday morning, per the outlet.

Klein reported that her White House credential had been deactivated and was taken from her as she attempted to enter the grounds.

"We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault on this fundamental right," CNN said in a statement.

Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also turned away Saturday, with the outlet reporting that her White House badge was confiscated.

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Donald Trump announced the media ban on Truth Social on September 18.

Trump announced the move Friday, September 18, in a lengthy Truth Social post.

"I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico," Trump posted.

"Media Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow," he added.

Trump later defended the decision during an Oval Office appearance, saying he was frustrated with coverage from the outlets.

However, he did not identify one particular story or reason for the ban.

CNN's Jake Tapper said the ban wouldn't stop the outlet's reporting.

Following the ban's announcement, CNN's Jake Tapper said Trump's decision would not stop the outlet from reporting on the president.

"If there is any strategy to this, and it's not clear that there is, it is that the president would rather today's focus be about this unconstitutional tantrum than about any of the facts that we cover every day—prices, polls, the ongoing war," he said, per The Daily Beast.

"That is not going to happen. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot ban what I'm saying to you right now," Tapper continued.