Network Evening News Shows Lead with Trump Bans of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico From WH

Nicholas Spinnato
September 18th, 2026 9:55 PM

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On Friday, after President Trump’s afternoon announcement that reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would be banned from the White House, all of the broadcast network evening newscasts from ABC, CBS, and NBC led their respective shows with news of the bans. All of the networks feared for the freedom of the press, as they showed clips of the free press asking Trump questions in the Oval Office in their reports.

ABC’s World News Tonight introduced the story by connecting the bans to the war in Iran and gas prices, before White House reporter Mary Bruce connected the bans to many other different Trump-bashing stories. 

Anchor David Muir led off the show:

 

 

We begin tonight with President Trump, with the War in Iran now in its seventh month and with Americans concerned over gas prices and diesel now hitting an all-time high. Tonight, the president now says he is banning three major news outlets from the White House. The president says he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico and says bans on other media organizations could follow. Reporters in the Oval Office late today, asking the president about the First Amendment.

Bruce called the bans an “extraordinary move,” before interjecting herself between different selected clips of Trump speaking to the press. She then bashed Trump on gas prices and the war in Iran, while also complaining about his talk of media coverage of his 2024 election victory:

With the war with Iran now in its seventh month, gas prices steadily climbing and diesel at an all-time high, the president going back to his election victory nearly two years ago.

Bruce went further and hit Trump on his plans for the Kennedy Center, as she noted Trump was in the Oval Office, “with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. standing silently behind him, the president also defending his threat to tear down the Kennedy Center, a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, if his own name doesn't go on it.”

She then mentioned a question Trump posed over the controversy of his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas. Bruce closed by reading a White House Correspondents Association statement on the ban, as she did not note the statement came from Fox News correspondent and WHCA president Jacqui Heinrich.

Unlike the other networks, ABC did not follow the lead story with news of a U.S. deal with Denmark over military base rights in Greenland.

 

 

Furthermore, Friday’s NBC Nightly News went hard against the bans

Fill-in anchor Hallie Jackson began, “The president setting the stage for a showdown over the First Amendment and freedom of the press, saying his new media ban applies to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. And while this is far from the first time President Trump has made clear he doesn't like some of the coverage he gets now, he appears to be going further, describing an all-out ban to keep those three outlets out of the White House altogether, warning he may do the same for others."

O’Donnell then bashed the move and called it, “an unprecedented and escalating challenge to a free press." 

She continued with more fear over the First Amendment: 

The First Amendment protects news coverage from government discrimination based on what a journalist writes or reports. 

CNN responded in a statement that the ban would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally protected right. 

 

 

Additionally, CBS Evening News also led with the bans, with anchor Tony Dokoupil introducing senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang’s story. 

Dokoupil began, “President Trump today claimed he is banning a trio of major media companies from the White House, continuing a long hostile relationship with the press."

Jiang started her story by simply explaining the bans, before she said, “Trump has a history of attacking the press.” She then played clips of Trump at rallies before she claimed Trump attacked “female reporters in particular.”

Jiang continued, “He's also tried to restrict the media before. In his first term, he revoked Jim Acosta's White House credential and barred Kaitlan Collins from an event. Both were reporters for CNN. Last year, he kicked the Associated Press out of Oval Office events because the outlet refused to use Trump's chosen name, the Gulf of America. This ban will likely be challenged in court.”

After being asked by Dokoupil about her views on the bans because of her previous role as President of the WHCA, Jiang called the bans an “escalation.”

The transcripts from all the network evening news shows are below. Click "expand" for each:

ABC World News Tonight

September 18, 2026

6:32:01 PM Eastern

DAVID MUIR: Good evening, and it’s great to have you with us here on a very busy Friday night. We begin tonight with President Trump, with the War in Iran now in its seventh month and with Americans concerned over gas prices and diesel now hitting an all-time high. Tonight, the president now says he is banning three major news outlets from the White House. The president says he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico and says bans on other media organizations could follow. Reporters in the Oval Office late today, asking the president about the First Amendment. Mary Bruce leading us off tonight.

[Cuts to news package]

MARY BRUCE: Tonight, the extraordinary move from President Trump saying he's banning three major news organizations CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, from the White House because he doesn't like their coverage.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We are banning them. Yes, we are. And there may be others to follow.

BRUCE: In the Oval Office, reporters from other news outlets pressing the president.

WSJ REPORTER CATHERINE LUCEY: Freedom of the press is enshrined in the First Amendment. Are you trying -

TRUMP: Oh, thank you for telling me that. Appreciate it

LUCEY: Are you trying to intimidate the press from doing their job?

TRUMP: No, no, no. I dislike dishonest press.

BRUCE: Reporters asking why now?

TRUMP: It's really just cumulative stories over the last two years. You get sick of it.

BRUCE: With the war with Iran now in its seventh month, gas prices steadily climbing and diesel at an all-time high, the president going back to his election victory nearly two years ago.

TRUMP: With all of the victories I've had, everything's been a victory. It's all been a victory. And I won the election like nobody's ever seen anything like it. I get no - they never write a good story.

BRUCE: Trump then adding this.

TRUMP: If they want to write them, that's fine, but I don't have to let them into my into the people's house.

BRUCE: Today, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. standing silently behind him, the president also defending his threat to tear down the Kennedy Center, a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, if his own name doesn't go on it.

KELLY O’DONNELL: Why do you want your name on the memorial?

TRUMP: Because we should be recognized.

BRUCE: The president was also asked about his son, Don Jr.’s decision to let a Russian oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin pay for his lavish two-day wedding party in the Bahamas. Don Jr. has called it a gift.

TRUMP: Maybe you didn't do a background check. But I've given wedding parties for numerous people. They get married, I give them a party. 

With all of that being said, I understand that Don's paid him back.

BRUCE: And David, back to the president's announcement that he is banning these three major news outlets. We have just received a statement from the White House Correspondents Association saying, quote, “Freedom of the press,” quote, “does not depend on whether the president likes a news organization's coverage, agrees with its reporting or approves of the questions its journalists asks,” adding, this is, quote, “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.” David?

(...)

NBC Nightly News

September 18, 2026

6:32:18 PM Eastern

HALLIE JACKSON: Good evening. I'm Hallie Jackson in for Tom tonight. And we're coming on the air with two major headlines out of the White House, with President Trump now saying he wants to ban three well-known media outlets as he's also announcing a new deal for the U.S. Military in Greenland. 

The president setting the stage for a showdown over the First Amendment and freedom of the press, saying his new media ban applies to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. And while this is far from the first time President Trump has made clear he doesn't like some of the coverage he gets now, he appears to be going further, describing an all-out ban to keep those three outlets out of the White House altogether, warning he may do the same for others. 

Moments later, more news from President Trump on a different front, revealing a new agreement with Denmark, which controls Greenland, to give the U.S., in the president's words, permanent control over the territory's security. We'll have more on that in just a moment. But we begin with Kelly O'Donnell on the president's controversial new media ban.

[Cuts to news package]

KELLY O’DONNELL: Tonight, in an unprecedented and escalating challenge to a free press. President Trump declared a ban on three news organizations, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, saying he's unhappy with their coverage. He also threatened other media outlets to follow in a social media post. We pressed him in the Oval Office. 

[Question to Trump] Every president takes an oath to uphold the Constitution, which includes the First Amendment. 

TRUMP: Yeah, I do too. I do too, also.

O’DONNELL: How do you justify such a ban?

TRUMP: Much more so than you

O’DONNELL: Is this serious?

TRUMP: Because they're fake news? You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news. [Cut] There may be others to join them, and maybe they can get better, and we’d like to have them in. But our country has to have honest news.

O’DONNELL: While there are no signs this ban is actually in effect, the president described his intention.

TRUMP: I don't want him in my office. I don't want him here. I would say the ban would go as far as you can. And if they could straighten themselves out, you know, if they could straighten themselves out, I'd love it.

O’DONNELL: The First Amendment protects news coverage from government discrimination based on what a journalist writes or reports. 

CNN responded in a statement that the ban would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally protected right. 

In a separate new development, the president was asked about the propriety of his son, Don Jr., accepting a lavish wedding party in the Bahamas in May, paid for by a Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin's inner circle. Today, the president defended that gift, but said for the first time that his son is covering that cost.

TRUMP: As I understand it, he paid him back. He didn't want to have that. So, I hear he paid him back.

[Cuts back to live]

JACKSON: Kelly is joining us now from the White House. And, Kelly, you also asked the president about his controversial plans for the Kennedy Center. 

O’DONNELL: I did. And tonight the president did not address whether he would consider demolition. That's something that protesters very much are concerned about.

There are demonstrators around the Kennedy Center right now to show their support for keeping it open and for protecting it. I also asked the president why he would consider wanting his name on a memorial for a slain president, and he said he wants recognition i his administration goes forward with renovation of that cultural center. Hallie? 

JACKSON: Kelly O'Donnell with a busy afternoon at the White House. Thank you.

CBS Evening News

September 18, 2026

6:31:56 PM Eastern

TONY DOKOUPIL: And good evening. President Trump today claimed he is banning a trio of major media companies from the White House, continuing a long hostile relationship with the press. But while he claimed on social media that the ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico was effective immediately, there was no immediate follow-through aside from a new round of the same old name-calling inside the white house. 

And as with past attempts to block coverage, he may lose this one in court. We have the latest now from our Weijia Jiang at the White House.

[Cuts to news package]

WEIJA JIANG: Tonight, President Trump is defending his decision to ban CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House.

TRUMP: Very simple ban. I don't want them in my office. I don't want them here. I would say the ban would go as far as you can.

JIANG: Trump first made the announcement on social media, claiming the outlets should not be able to constantly report fiction and lies when they're covering the President of the United States.

TRUMP: They purposely write negative news, and they do that because they want to try to diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration. And honestly, we have done a fantastic job.

JIANG: Trump has a history of attacking the press.

TRUMP [At 2024 Rally]: Fake news doesn't report those stories.

[At September 9 Rally] Oh, boy. That's a lot of fake news.

JIANG: And female reporters in particular.

TRUMP [On August 17 to CNN’s Kristen Holmes]: You are a loud, boisterous person. You’re fake news. Be quiet. Be quiet

[To Jim Acosta] That's enough, put down the mic.

JIANG: He's also tried to restrict the media before. In his first term, he revoked Jim Acosta's White House credential and barred Kaitlan Collins from an event. Both were reporters for CNN. 

Last year, he kicked the Associated Press out of Oval Office events because the outlet refused to use Trump's chosen name, the Gulf of America. This ban will likely be challenged in court.

JESSICA LEVINSON: I think every time the president explains why he thinks this ban is necessary, it's actually worse for his legal case because he keeps talking about negative coverage and unfair coverage. Again, that is what the First Amendment protects against.

[Cuts back to live]

JIANG: In fact, in all those previous cases, access was restored to members of the press after legal battles. This evening, reporters from all three of the outlets Trump just threatened are here at the white house doing their jobs and tell us they have not been asked to leave. Tony?

DOKOUPIL: You know, you know this well. You were president of the White House Correspondents' Association. You understand the relationship between this white house and the press corps. What do you make of it all?

JIANG: That's right, Tony, the association is used to plenty of tension as we advocate for access. 

But while Trump has gone after reporters before, this is different because he may ban entire outlets from White House grounds. That's an escalation from keeping folks out of the Oval Office or off of Air Force 1. Tonight, the WHCA says in a statement that the Constitution protects the freedom of the press from government interference and that is ultimately for the good of the American public, Tony?

(...)

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