The Trump administration claimed that three news organizations published classified information.
Posted by The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
The Briefing with Jen PsakiSep 24, 2026
The Trump administration did claim in court filings (Sept. 23 letters and DOJ filing) that CNN, MS NOW and Politico published sensitive or classified information, as reported by multiple tier1 and tier2 outlets, and used this to justify the ban.
The host relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… The Trump administration's answer: well, here's a direct quote: "The president should be able to take immediate action to protect national security." That is their new line, that this is all about national security. They claim that the three news organizations published classified information, and that is why they had to act immediately. They even attached letters to their filing, citing specific reporting that they think supports this claim. …
The Briefing with Jen Psaki · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. AP and UPI report the White House letters and court filing accused the outlets of 'publishing sensitive or classified information' as grounds for the ban.[1][3]
Supports. NBC and Variety report the DOJ filing accused the outlets of publishing sensitive or classified information, justifying national security concerns.[4][5]
Supports. Reuters reports Justice Department lawyers said the outlets endangered national security by publishing classified information, citing stories on the ballroom and the midterm convention.[2]
Context. Politico reports the letters sent to outlets did not claim any cited stories contained classified information, undercutting the substance of the claim.[6]
Context. Freedom of the Press Foundation calls the classified-information rationale an obvious pretext, though it confirms the government made the argument.[7]
Sources
7 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 4 not rated, 1 tier 2
- 1Trump administration will defend its ban of three prominent news outlets in court hearingapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Judge weighs CNN, MS NOW, Politico bid to keep White House accessreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3Trump administration argues media ban is for national securityupi.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4DOJ defends Trump media ban, cites national securitynbcsandiego.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5White House Says Trump's Ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico Does Not Violate First Amendment: Access ‘Is a Privilege — Not a Right'variety.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Fox News, NYT, AP and other media outlets jointly ...politico.com · tier 2 · cited for: context
- 7The 'national security' panic buttonfreedom.press · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Three news organizations sued the Trump administration over its decision to ban journalists from the White House.True
- The Trump administration has pursued intimidation tactics against the Associated Press and the Pentagon Press Corps.True
- The Trump White House removed CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House press pool.Can’t tell
- Donald Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.True
- Donald Trump has called for a ban on CNN, Politico, and MSNBC from the White House.True