Former Donald Trump Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham Slams 'Out of Touch' Ex-Boss as He Bans CNN, MS NOW and Politico From White House
Stephanie Grisham slammed her former boss Donald Trump after his ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
Sept. 19 2026, Published 1:40 p.m. ET
Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham spoke out after Donald Trump announced plans to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former Trump aid said she wasn't surprised by the move, and claimed she had previously been tasked with trying to remove the press corps from the White House.
Donald Trump Announces White House Media Ban
Donald Trump announced the ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico on Truth Social before the restrictions took effect September 19.
Trump announced the move on Truth Social on September 18.
"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," Trump wrote.
"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," he added.
Trump later addressed the announcement while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, pointing to what he called "cumulative stories over the last two years."
"You get sick of it," the president said, according to Mediaite.
On September 19, reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were turned away from the White House, per Reuters.
Their press badges were reportedly confiscated as the outlets' journalists attempted to enter the building.
Stephanie Grisham Says She Saw It Coming
Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said she wasn't surprised by Donald Trump's decision to restrict media access.
Grisham appeared on CNN's The Source with Brianna Keilar Friday night, where she discussed her former boss's decision.
Grisham served as Trump's White House press secretary from July 2019 until April 2020.
During those nine months, she never held a formal White House press briefing.
"I was actually, as press secretary, tasked with getting the press corps off the White House grounds," she said, per Mediaite.
"He wanted everybody kicked out, not just the few that you guys are dealing with right now. I'm sure it'll get bigger... Obviously, I never completed that task, but that's something that I knew was going to happen," Grisham explained.
'Doesn't Have the Guardrails'
Stephanie Grisham questioned whether anyone inside Donald Trump's current White House is pushing back against his media restrictions.
Keilar asked Grisham whether she believed anyone currently working inside the White House was telling Trump he could not impose the restrictions.
"It sure doesn’t seem like it," Grisham responded.
She added: "I was hopeful that somebody like Susie Wiles or Dan Scavino would be there doing it, and maybe they are. I don't know."
"But it seems like he has really surrounded himself with sycophants and doesn't have the guardrails that we kind of had in Trump 1.0," the former press secretary detailed.
"So, I think everybody's laughing and thinking it's a great idea, but, you know, as always, he's missed the point," Grisham continued.
'He's Melting Down'
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The former Trump press secretary accused the president of being 'so out of touch.'
Grisham then turned her attention to economic concerns.
"The economy is terrible," she said. "I live in the Midwest, and I can't tell you how many farmers and people who drive water trucks and big equipment are suffering."
"People can't afford groceries," she continued.
"And, you know, people don't care that the press can't be on the White House grounds because they're suffering, and he's not doing anything but these silly projects and these silly little vanity, you know, issues that he's doing," she went on.
Grisham concluded: "So, once again, it's just not good. It doesn't look good. He's so out of touch, and he's melting down."
