Donald Trump launched an attack on CNN upon his arrival at the United Nations building in New York for the General Assembly, expressing surprise at the network’s presence and telling its reporters they should not be there to cover him. The incident occurred amid an ongoing confrontation between the U.S. president and CNN, MSNBC, and Politico, following his decision to ban them from White House activities.
Donald Trump: “I’m surprised CNN is here”
The U.S. president arrived at the UN accompanied by his wife Melania Trump and stopped in front of press representatives to make a statement. Upon noticing CNN’s presence, he commented: “I’m surprised CNN is here to cover me. You should not be here. You should not be covering me.” He then quickly changed the subject and spoke about his participation in the General Assembly: “It’s an honor to be here at the UN General Assembly. We’ve made great progress and I believe we’re going to do very well.”
The ban on CNN, MSNBC, and Politico
The new confrontation came after Trump’s decision to ban CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House activities. The three media outlets turned to the courts seeking to have their access to the presidential residence restored following the removal of their journalists. In their 27-page lawsuit, they argue that the White House’s decision violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Those named as defendants include Donald Trump, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, Secret Service Director Sean Curran, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
“You should not be here covering me.” Donald Trump says he is “surprised” CNN is reporting on his arrival at the UN General Assembly, after the U.S. President banned the outlet from reporting in the White House last week. https://t.co/BAxWKRC4IJ 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602 https://t.co/X9ZBFR6JyQ
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 22, 2026
The case heads to court
The hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday before Federal Judge Timothy Kelly. During Trump’s first term, the same judge had ruled on a case involving the ban of then-CNN correspondent Jim Acosta. CNN journalists were able to attend the UN through credentials issued by the United Nations itself, despite the network’s ban from the White House.
