Donald’s Trump media ban backfires in moments at very awkward White House event

Donald Trump’s decision to ban media outlets from the White House appeared to backfire during a ribbon cutting ceremony that has since been mocked online.

On Friday (18 September), the US President announced that journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW would no longer be allowed access to the White House as he accused them of spreading ‘fiction or lies’ and publishing ‘fake news’.

In response, all major broadcasters - including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC - shared a joint statement vowing to cease 'pooled' coverage of the US administration.

The statement read: "The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting.

"Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President."

Trump has since doubled-down on his ban today, saying: "I think I have an obligation not to let fake news [into the White House] - they are a threat to national security.”

However, while Trump may be happy to stick with the ban, even if it does include a boycott from other media outlets, it did lead to a pretty awkward moment during an event at the White House.

The ribbon cutting event was livestreamed on Newsmax, but as there were no pool cameras on-site there was no sound to capture what was going on.

The Newsmax anchor told viewers: “Okay, there is no microphone because the pool cameras aren't there.

“So maybe this is one example of this backfiring just a little bit ... the ramifications are right here - can't hear what the president is saying.”

And it didn’t take long before clips of the footage were shared online where they were quickly called out by critics.

Politico reporter Sophia Cai wrote: “Trump made his first remarks without the TV pool and it is impossible to hear him through the White House feed. He is doing an unveiling of the new helipad just before Xi’s visit. Nothing but static for 9 minutes.”

Someone else commented: “As the President of the United States this should feel embarrassing as hell.”

Veteran political reporter Jamie Dupree said: “Here is what happens when you don't have the White House TV Pool. You have video of Trump - but you can't hear what the President is saying.”

A fourth person wrote: "Trump's going to be embarrassed and p****ed his plan backfired live in front of the world.”

The ribbon-cutting came as CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a complaint against Trump about the ban.

The complaint opens by saying: “On Friday, September 18, 2026, President Donald J Trump announced that he was "banning" journalists with three news organizations - CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO - from the White House ‘effective immediately’ for one simple reason: He dislikes the content of their coverage of him and his administration.

The complaint said the ‘ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles’.

"Access to the White House is critical for the press," the complaint added.