President Donald Trump has long been known for going after news outlets that he deems “fake” and lashing out at reporters. But his threats and attacks escalated on Friday, September 18, when Trump took to Truth Social to announce that he would be banning CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from the White House. When explaining why, Trump accused these publications of sharing “fake news” and publishing “lies.”
Recent reports suggest he believes this may have something to do with the so-called “human printer,” Natalie Harp. Harp has been working behind the scenes and reportedly curating media for Trump to consume. Sources have alleged that content Harp shared with Trump recently seemed to really set him off, leading to this ban.
On Friday, Trump also warned that he would be banning other news outlets in the future.
In his Truth Social post, he wrote, “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them ‘alive.’ Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
Trump’s social media posts don’t exactly look like they were crafted by someone else on his team. Given that they tend to have a unique style, a lot of people assumed that he was managing his Truth Social account himself. But apparently not.
A video that surfaced last month made it look like Harp is pretty directly involved in helping Trump share content with his followers. She is also known for printing out articles (and memes) about Trump and sharing them with him. So, much of what he hears about himself seems to be coming from her. Naturally, people have been wondering what role she played in this particular attack on the press, if any.
Trump continued, “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
Harp’s exact role in this situation is unclear.
But she did seemingly play a role, according to recent reports. Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Harp allegedly showed Trump some clips of MS NOW anchors “criticizing his administration” before he made the announcement.
CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins, whom Trump has repeatedly criticized, also reported that Harp showed the president content that “infuriated” him. According to the sources she spoke to, this content included a Politico graphic and television clips.
Meanwhile, Trump has said there’s “no reason” for the ban.
Or, at least, no specific coverage that led to it. “It’s a very simple ban,” he said. “I don’t want them in my office; I don’t want them here.”
He also added, “It’s really just cumulative stories over the last two years. You get sick of it.”
READ NEXT: Natalie Harp’s Letters To Trump Fuel Questions About Her Devotion To President
