Former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump’s recent decision to bar three major news outlets from the White House during a speech at Colgate University. Obama described the ban as “unimaginable” and mused about the fallout if he had taken a similar step, noting that such a move would reveal a lack of understanding about the democratic role of a free press.
Trump announced the ban on Friday, labeling CNN, MSNBC (referred to as MS Now) and Politico “fake news” outlets. He posted an AI‑generated image of three stuffed trash bags with the networks’ names outside the White House and reporters from the three agencies were denied entry, having their press passes seized. Trump hinted the ban could extend to other media organizations, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. Earlier in his presidency, Trump had barred the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One after the agency refused to adopt his proposed renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise defended Trump’s actions, asserting that the president is “more open to the press” than his predecessors, and claimed that former President Joe Biden had removed credentials from over 400 agencies. Journalist Jonathan Karl rebutted this, explaining that only one reporter was denied a credential and that the others were allowed to return.
Obama also criticized Trump’s stance on artificial‑intelligence regulation, warning that powerful AI models could be misused if left unchecked. Trump announced plans to create an “AI Force” and appoint an AI czar, a move that some industry insiders say could pose serious risks.
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