Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent commented on President Donald Trump’s decision to ban Politico, CNN, and MS NOW from White House briefings, stating he lacked specific knowledge of the event but criticized the performance of legacy media outlets. The ban has triggered a federal lawsuit from the affected news organizations and led to a suspension of television pool coverage by major broadcast networks.
What the Right Is Saying
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking with CNBC’s Joe Kernen, said he was unaware of the details surrounding the ban, noting he was traveling and not present in the Oval Office when the decision was made. However, Bessent argued that legacy media outlets need to return to “equilibrium” and criticized what he described as unfair coverage of the president.
“For the legacy media, the equilibrium is so far out of kilter because what group is one of the few that is less popular than the U.S. Congress?” Bessent said. “Legacy media. And why is that? Because of the perceived bias. So the American people deserve good reporting. We’ll see where this goes.” Bessent also suggested that some reporters do not perform their jobs well, stating, “We’ll have something. And then they’ll ask some crazy question.”
President Trump responded to the lawsuit on Truth Social, characterizing the action as an “assault on the FAKE NEWS” rather than the Free Press. He described the media as “corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control,” labeling it a “threat to our National Security” that “must be stopped NOW!”
What the Left Is Saying
Politico, CNN, and MS NOW filed a lawsuit on Monday against the Trump administration, arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment. In their filing, the outlets stated, “This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles.” The lawsuit further noted that the exclusion has already “severely impeded” their ability to cover the president’s activities.
The five networks comprising the White House television pool—Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News—issued a joint statement condemning the move. “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” the networks said. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
What the Numbers Show
The lawsuit involves three major news organizations: Politico, CNN, and MS NOW. The suspension of the TV pool involves five networks: Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News. The TV pool is a traditional arrangement where these networks alternate covering presidential events and share the footage. With no replacement pool established, President Trump’s upcoming trip to the United Nations General Assembly will proceed without television crew coverage provided by these major outlets.
The Bottom Line
The dispute centers on the balance between executive branch authority to control access to the White House and the press’s constitutional rights. The suspension of the TV pool creates an immediate logistical challenge for media coverage of the President’s foreign travel. Legal proceedings are expected to continue as the administration and the news organizations contest the legality of the ban.