Trump bans CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House

ALAMEDA, Calif. - President Donald Trump fielded questions at an Oval Office event on Friday after announcing on social media that he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, describing them as "dishonest press."

White House press ban

The backstory:

The president also hinted that additional press bans could be coming, sparking concern over potential tests to First Amendment guarantees of a free press.

Legal and political analysts suspect the timing of the Friday announcement is part of a deliberate strategy to control the news cycle over the weekend and distract from negative press regarding economic issues, including the rising costs of fuel, food, and general living expenses.

"This now dominates the news cycle for the weekend and maybe becomes something that distracts media from covering some of these other issues," said David Schultz, a professor of law and political science at Hamline University in Minnesota.

Analysts also note the president is facing pressure ahead of upcoming mid-term elections.

"Clearly, he's looking at the party that's looking to lose the midterms," said Nolan Higdon, a media and political analyst. "Some in the party are already turning against him, so he's blaming the news media and deflecting from a discussion about it."

Bay Area reaction

Local perspective:

Local residents also expressed concern regarding the decision.

"He wants people to rely on a certain narrative, and it's not fair for people to not get the truth — all the truths that are actually out there," said Alameda resident Brianna Davlin.

Bear Goodson, also of Alameda, added, "If you want to crowd the room with only biased sources who are only going to say the stories you want to tell, that means you can easily obscure the truth."

The White House Correspondents' Association voiced support for the targeted news organizations in a social media statement, writing in part: "This is about more than the rights of journalists. It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation’s highest office."

Critics argue that limiting press access poses a threat to democratic transparency. 

Legal experts weigh in

What they're saying:

Higdon noted that "the further the press gets from power, the less insight into what power is doing, which means the less public knows about what their elected officials are doing."

Legal experts expect the news outlets to challenge the ban in court by seeking a preliminary injunction. While experts predict the administration would likely lose a legal challenge even if it reached the U.S. Supreme Court, they note that a legal victory may not be the president's primary goal.

"The idea that he's going after some news outlet helps him with his base even if he's not on sound legal ground," Schultz said.

Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Reach Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com, text/leave a message at 510-599-3922, or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @AmberKTVU.

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