On Wednesday, Morning Joe continued to decry the White House barring MS NOW, CNN, and Politico from White House grounds and, in the process, feared for democracy as Mike Barnicle asked Democracy Forward CEO Skye Perryman, “What can people do to pay attention to the demolition of democracy. Imemdailty after Perryman’s answer, the show teased an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, which included talk of “unity” amid the ban while Bash also feared for democracy.
Perryman’s interview contained fear over the midterm elections, which turned into talk over the White House bans.
The BBC’s Katty Kay asked Perryman if voters care about the “ban of media organizations.” Perryman, of course, said yes and concluded, “people understand the First Amendment,” and said “it’s deeply connected ot the elections.
Barnicle then chimed in to ask a question, and stated, “You know, other than vote, what can people do to pay attention to the demolition of our democracy?”
In a moment that showcased both MS NOW and CNN, amid a long segment of election fearmongering, frequent Morning Joe guest Mike Banricle asked ‘Democracy Forward’ CEO Skye Perryman, “You know, other than vote, what can people do to pay attention to the demolition of our… pic.twitter.com/CrScWWeGDt
— Nick (@nspin310) September 23, 2026
After this fearmongering, Perryman hawked her own book she was selling on the show, and focused her answer on “misinformation”:
So, we want you to be able to tune in and pay attention to what's going on, but be really mindful about the media that you're consuming. There's a lot of folks out there who continue to get misinformation and disinformation, sometimes not even realizing that they're spreading things that are not truthful or not accurate.
Immediately after Perryman’s segment ended, host Mike Brzezinski teased an interview with Dana Bash. At the start of Bash’s interview, Brzezinski and Bash, somewhat jokingly, talked about unity among the barred cable networks:
BRZEZINSKI: And Dana joins us now right here on set.
BASH: This is fun.
BRZEZINSKI: I love it. Unity!
BASH: Love it.
BRZEZINSKI: Why not? Right.
Of course, while selling her book, Dana Bash was asked about the White House bans of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, as Jonathan Lemire stated, “This isn't just about beltway access. This is about something far, far bigger.”
Bash responded and said, “It is about the idea fo access… https://t.co/AeImnmLGk1 pic.twitter.com/3vA9OMtzUw— Nick (@nspin310) September 23, 2026
At the end of the interview, the hosts from both MS NOW and CNN showcased their own feelings of self-importance as they decried the bans of their respective outlets from White House grounds.
Jonathan Lemire asked Bash, Just from your perspective, why is this so important?” He then gave his own input, as he said, “This isn't just about Beltway access. This is about something far, far bigger.”
Bash responded and said, “It’s not just about MS Now and CNN and Politico,” and connected back to her book on The Elections That Changed the World, and stated, “It is about the idea of access and free press, about what the Founding Fathers, I was just talking about, insisted on having in the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment.”
She then closed her thoughts by saying the bans “could happen to anybody” before connecting back to fears for democacy:
Our job is to hold our leaders accountable. It is part of the beauty of democracy, because otherwise you don't have a democracy.
The “unity” from MS NOW and CNN talking about themselves amid the White House ban just shows how pompous they are.
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
MS NOW’s Morning Joe
September 23, 2026
7:29:43 AM Eastern
(...)
KATTY KAY: Skye, it's always difficult for the press to talk about itself, and I know that none of us are particularly popular around the country, but how should voters be looking at the White House ban of media organizations? A judge in D.C. Is going to be hearing arguments in the case today. Is it something, do you think, that voters pay attention to? Does it resonate with them? Do they see the problem of what has happened with this ban?
SKYE PERRYMAN: We see this across the country, and this is not just voters on a Progressive or left-of-center side of the political spectrum. You see this with a deep concern among voters across the country. People understand the First Amendment. They may not love every single news report, but they don't like the idea of their freedom of speech or the press's freedom of speech being taken away from them.
But I think what you have to look at is this is a president that is seeking at every turn to avoid accountability. He doesn't want the reporters in the room. He doesn't want, you know, he doesn't want independent agencies to be able to do the work that they do, because this administration, unfortunately, just has not delivered for people on any issue. And so it's deeply it's deeply connected to the elections.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Alright. Mike?
MIKE BARNICLE: You know, other than vote, what can people do to pay attention to the demolition of our democracy?
PERRYMAN: There is so much you can do!
BRZEZINSKI: Alright. Bring it!
PERRYMAN: That's what the book is all about!
So, look, we need to make sure that folks understand that democracy and the ability of us to chart our own futures, it's not just about voting. It's about taking action, small, repeatable actions every day in our everyday lives.
So, we want you to be able to tune in and pay attention to what's going on, but be really mindful about the media that you're consuming. There's a lot of folks out there that continue to get misinformation and disinformation, sometimes not even realizing that they're spreading things that are not truthful or not accurate. So, I have a lot of resources in the new book that's out Ordinary People Extraordinary Times, about how you can be mindful of your media environment.
But we also need everybody to remember that democracy isn't something in Washington, D.C.or at the Supreme Court. It is at your front door. And getting engaged with your community, building community with people. Taking those steps in your own community can truly help. We've seen it across time and across history.
BRZEZINSKI: Skye, you're an important voice in this moment. President and CEO of Democracy Forward, Skye Perryman, thank you very much for coming on this morning. Good to see you.
PERRYMAN: Thanks, guys.
BRZEZINSKI: Coming up, our next guest is exploring some of the most pivotal moments that have shaped how we live. CNN's Dana Bash joins us with a look at her new book, The Elections That Changed The World. Morning Joe will be right back.
(...)
7:37:23 AM Eastern
BRZEZINSKI: And Dana joins us now right here on set.
DANA BASH: This is fun.
BRZEZINSKI: I love it. Unity!
BASH: Love it.
BRZEZINSKI: Why not? Right.
BASH: Absolutely. Her new book is titled The Elections That Change the World: 15 Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live.
(...)
7:45:51 AM Eastern
JONATHAN LEMIRE: So, Dana, we're obviously glad you're here on air to talk about the book, but we should also talk about what's uniting MS NOW and CNN right now, as well as Politico, which is the ban from the White House.
We know there's going to be a court hearing later today. Just from your perspective, why is this so important? This isn't just about Beltway access. This is about something far, far bigger.
BASH: And it's not just about MS NOW and CNN and Politico. It is about the idea of access and free press, about what the Founding Fathers, I was just talking about, insisted on having in the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment.
And the fact is if it could happen to the three of us, it could happen to anybody, because it's not about what we report. It's about the feelings of the people that we were reporting on. And I have covered the White House. I think a lot of you have covered the White House. And we know that Democrats and Republicans, they don't always like what we cover. In fact, a lot of times they don't like the way that we cover. But that's our job. Our job is to hold our leaders accountable. It is part of the beauty of democracy, because otherwise you don't have a democracy.
BRZEZINSKI: Exactly.
(..)
