MS NOW says its journalists were denied access to the White House grounds

WASHINGTON -- MS NOW said its journalists were denied access to the White House grounds Saturday morning, a day after President Donald Trump said he would ban the network and other news outlets from the complex.

The action escalated Trump's long-running efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable, and is the latest test of First Amendment protections in the U.S. Trump said Friday that he was barring the news channel, along with CNN and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage and "fake news."

MS NOW said in a statement that it stands behind its journalists.

"The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars," the network said in a statement Saturday. "MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy."

It was unclear Saturday morning whether CNN journalists were also being blocked from the White House grounds. Network correspondents are usually there on the weekends when the president is in Washington or at nearby Camp David. Trump is at the presidential retreat in Maryland this weekend.

Politico journalists typically are not at the White House on Saturdays.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.