Donald Trump reportedly banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House after aide Natalie Harp showed him clips of critical television coverage. The decision marked an escalation of his long-running conflict with parts of the media and reportedly surprised some White House officials, who questioned whether excluding reporters would improve coverage.

The outlets’ journalists had credentials disabled, confiscated or revoked, forcing some to report from outside the White House gates. Trump said the ban followed years of coverage he considered false and unfair, while the organisations condemned the restrictions as unlawful and pledged to continue reporting; he also suggested other outlets could face similar treatment.