The move on Fridau is almost certain to face legal challenges as free speech experts said it conflicts with the US Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and a free press.
Trump accused the outlets of "reporting FAKE NEWS" in a social media post, and said they "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States".
Trump added, "Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow."
Representatives of all three outlets could be seen working in the White House on Friday afternoon following Trump's post. The White House was informing all three they would be banned from the White House grounds as of Saturday, Fox News reported, citing an unnamed senior White House official.
Trump said there was no specific incident that prompted the ban, telling reporters in the Oval Office, "It's really just cumulative stories over the past few years."
Trump added, "I don't have to let them into my, into the people's house."
When asked what he meant by others "to follow," Trump mentioned the New York Times and Washington Post as what he called "fake news".
The extent of the ban announced by Trump was not immediately clear, and the legality of any move could depend on its scope.
Courts have given presidents broad discretion over selective access to events such as Oval Office meetings and small press pools, while broader exclusions from generally available White House press facilities or credentials could face stronger challenges under the First Amendment and constitutional protections for due process.
Trump's move came weeks ahead of the November 3 midterm elections in which Trump's fellow Republicans are defending narrow majorities in Congress. Reuters/Ipsos polls show the public souring on Republicans, as Trump's own approval ratings stand near historic lows amid the deeply unpopular Iran war he kicked off that has sent energy prices soaring.
The Trump administration has upended decades of tradition in dealings between the White House and press, cutting back the access many major news organisations have had to the president while elevating the presence of new media outlets seen as more sympathetic to the administration.
CNN in a statement said it stands behind its journalists who cover the White House.
"We have a right under the US Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government," CNN said in a statement. "Should the ban which President Trump threatened go ahead, it would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally protected right."
Politico said on X that it would "continue to fairly report on this White House and future ones".
"We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them," Politico said.
Trump has filed several lawsuits against the press, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the BBC and the Des Moines Register. The suits can have a chilling effect. His defamation suits against ABC and CBS were settled for $US15 million ($A21 million) and $US16 million ($A22 million), respectively.
In his first term, Trump's White House sought to revoke or suspend the credentials of Playboy correspondent Brian Karem and CNN's Jim Acosta, but federal judges ordered their White House press passes restored.
Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump has openly badgered reporters, particularly from US television networks.
In 2025, he also banned the Associated Press from the usual pool of reporters that cover his movements because the news agency did not adopt Trump's preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico, which Trump has instructed executive branch employees to refer to as the Gulf of America.
with AP
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