Waltz says Trump ‘absolutely within his rights’ to bar reporters ‘not behaving’ in good faith

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Sunday said President Trump is “absolutely within his rights” to ban CNN, Politico and MS NOW reporters from the White House, claiming the ban prevents reporters who are “not behaving” in good faith.

“Dana, the president is absolutely within his rights to limit journalists to government facilities, particularly when, in his opinion, they’re not behaving as good faith journalists,” Waltz told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

Bash pushed back, stating that as a decorated veteran and former Green Beret, Waltz defended the rights endowed in the Constitution before reiterating Trump’s ban on the three outlets from covering the White House.

“Dana, the prior administration limited all kinds of journalistic outfits and journalists themselves that they deemed as right-wing,” Waltz said. “Those have now been allowed onto the facility, and the president doesn’t believe others are acting in good faith.”

Waltz later added that he hopes the media “would take a good introspective look at itself and its practices,” saying that it makes “a little baby correction” to stories that stick “to people like napalm.” He said there was a difference between what he characterized as “negative reporting and garbage gossip journalism.”

The ambassador pushed back on reporting on U.S. military deployments and the country’s munition stockpile, prompting Bash to say that reporting on national security is something “every serious news organization takes seriously.”

“That is quite different from the president saying that he’s not happy because it’s too negative against him,” she added before moving on to talk about the U.S.’s new deal with Greenland and Denmark.

Trump announced the ban via Truth Social on Friday, posting that it went into immediate effect “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” He later said there was no particular reason for the timing of the ban.

CNN, Politico and MS NOW reporters were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday. All three outlets denounced the ban , and MS NOW said it will “take any and all steps necessary” to protect its reporters’ constitutional right to report on the president. Politico editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger said the Secret Service confiscated reporter Cheyenne Haslett’s pass.

Several free-speech advocacy groups and press organizations, including Fox News contributors , slammed the ban, calling it a violation of these outlets’ right to press freedom.

The Biden administration previously tightened the requirements for White House passes to reporters, Snopes reported , in March 2025. Citing Politico , the fact-checker stated that the number of passes dropped from 1,417 to 975 after those requirements went into effect due to reporters choosing to not renew their passes. One application for a pass was denied.

Journalists Max Blumenthal and Sam Husseini were escorted out of a State Department press briefing in January 2025, in the last days of the Biden administration. Both confronted former Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the administration’s handling of Israel’s war in Gaza, with Husseini screaming that Blinken belonged “in the Hague.”