Former President Barack Obama calls Donald Trump's White House press ban 'unimaginable' in United States

On September 18, 2026, former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump's decision to ban journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House, calling it "unimaginable." Speaking at Colgate University, Obama said he could not have foreseen such actions and warned that accepting them undermines democracy. The banned outlets announced plans to challenge the ban, while Trump hinted at extending it to other media. Obama also criticized the administration's lack of AI regulation, as Trump announced plans for an AI Force and an AI czar.