US President Donald Trump has announced the immediate ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of repeatedly publishing what he described as “fiction and lies” about his administration.

Trump made the announcement in a Friday post on Truth Social but did not cite specific reports that prompted the decision. He later said The New York Times and The Washington Post could also face similar action.

It remains unclear how the ban would be implemented or whether journalists from the affected outlets would be barred from the White House grounds. Reporters from CNN and Politico were still present shortly after Trump’s announcement.

CNN condemned the move as an “illegal assault” on press freedom, while Politico said it would continue reporting on the White House and defend its First Amendment rights.

The White House Correspondents’ Association also criticised the move, saying journalists should be able to perform their duties without government interference.

Press freedom organisations, including the Knight First Amendment Institute and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said excluding news organisations because of their reporting or viewpoints would violate the First Amendment and could be quickly challenged in court.

Trump has had a contentious relationship with the White House press corps during both his terms. His administration previously restricted access for Associated Press journalists over the outlet’s continued use of “Gulf of Mexico” rather than “Gulf of America”.

In his first term, Trump also banned CNN correspondent Jim Acosta from the White House, but CNN successfully challenged the decision in court and his credentials were restored.

Trump acknowledged that his latest move could face legal challenges, saying he wanted to make the issue clear regardless of whether the ban ultimately survived.