An open letter to the President & U.S. Congress

Defend the First Amendment — Condemn Trump's White House Press Ban

272 so far! Help us get to 500 signers!

You need to speak out against Trump's ban on CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House. On September 18, reporters from those outlets had their press badges physically confiscated by Secret Service agents. That's not a policy dispute — that's the government using force to silence journalists it dislikes. CNN, MSNBC, and Politico have now sued, arguing the ban violates both the First and Fifth Amendments, and a federal judge has already scheduled a hearing for Wednesday. Trump is calling unflattering coverage a "national security threat" — the same justification Nixon used to cover up Watergate. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC refused to fill CNN's spot in the TV pool, leaving today's White House event without any independent audio coverage. The administration's response was to launch "Trump TV" on YouTube, with comments turned off. That is state propaganda, not press freedom. This is a constitutional crisis unfolding in real time. I need you on record defending the free press. Condemn this ban publicly, and support any legislative or oversight action that restores these outlets' access and prevents this administration from weaponizing press credentials against critical coverage.

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▶ Created on September 22 by Jeffrey Barlow

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