Zohran Mamdani Pushes Back On Donald Trump’s Press Ban At New York Meeting

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told US President Donald Trump that every member of the press could attend their meetings in New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly. He did so after Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.

Mamdani made the remarks at a press conference at Gracie Mansion after he met Trump. A reporter asked whether he had challenged the President over the access restrictions. “I told the President that we're going to have all of the members of the press here on the lawn. And that is something that I believe in, as everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique, that we engage," Mamdani said.

The dispute over White House media access then moved into court, with CNN, MS NOW and Politico filing a federal lawsuit over the administration's move to strip their White House access.

Trump Defends the Ban

Speaking to reporters in New York, Trump stood by the restrictions and dismissed the idea that the outlets would boycott him.

“They said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me. So I wasn't very worried about that. Look at all that press,” Trump said.

He said the press has a responsibility to be fair. “I'm only doing it because I think the press also has an obligation,” Trump said.

Trump attacked CNN and MS NOW, calling both outlets biased. “If you look at CNN, it's fake news. If you look at MS Now—I don't even know what MS Now is,” Trump said.

He linked that criticism to the access decision. “I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair. And if they're fake news, I really think I have an obligation not to allow them into another very special house,” Trump said, referring to the White House.

“They're very bad for the country, very bad for national security, so I have that obligation," he added.

Lawsuit and Hearing

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have now taken the matter to federal court, arguing that the administration's decision violates First Amendment press protections and Fifth Amendment due process rights.

A federal hearing in Washington is scheduled. That will be the first formal test of whether the administration can keep the three outlets out of White House spaces and events.

Access Restrictions Fallout

The standoff started on Friday, after Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House and accused the outlets of repeatedly publishing what he called “fake news”.

Journalists from the three outlets were then turned away from White House grounds, and some press credentials were disabled or confiscated.

The White House has said the First Amendment protects news organisations' right to publish, but it does not automatically give any outlet access to the White House grounds, briefing room or presidential press pool.

The fallout also reached the White House television pool. CNN had been scheduled to be the television pool network for Trump's New York trip, but its removal disrupted the usual setup in which participating networks share footage of presidential events with other news organisations.

In response, other television networks later suspended pool coverage in solidarity with the affected outlets.

In a joint statement, CNN, MS NOW and Politico said the government should not decide “what the press reports or publishes"