Trump’s Escalating War on “Unfavorable” Press — And What It Means for Texas
President Trump escalated his long-running battle with the press corps on Friday, announcing he’s banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he called their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
It’s the latest move in a pattern: he previously sought to bar Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office and Air Force One after the outlet declined to adopt his renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, and he’s warned that other outlets could be next.
The reaction was swift.
Jameel Jaffer of Columbia’s Knight First Amendment Institute called the move unconstitutional, arguing the First Amendment bars the president from punishing journalists over coverage he dislikes. CNN said any enforced ban “would be an illegal assault on that fundamental and constitutionally-protected right,” and the White House Correspondents’ Association came out in solidarity with the targeted outlets.
MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner, CNN’s Betsy Klein, and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett were all stopped at White House security this morning and told they could not enter. Their press badges were disabled or confiscated.
For Texas, the effects are indirect but real.
Both CNN and Politico maintain reporters who track the Texas congressional delegation closely, and thinner White House access could mean less real-time visibility into how Texas lawmakers are navigating administration policy. Politico’s coverage runs especially deep on energy and agriculture — two sectors central to the Texas economy — and reduced sourcing inside the White House press operation could dull that coverage at a moment when federal energy and farm policy is very much in flux.
There’s also a longer-term question: if courts weigh in on whether this ban is constitutional, that ruling could shape future access fights at the state level, including in Texas, where press-credential disputes have flared before.
Sources:
- CNN, “Trump says he’s ‘banning’ CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House” (Sept. 18, 2026)
- NBC News, “Trump says he’s banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House” (Sept. 18, 2026)
- CBS News, “Trump says he’s banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House” (Sept. 18, 2026)
Months after making history in the Middle East, the autonomous warship that pulled two downed U.S. Army pilots from the Strait of Hormuz hosted a high-profile visitor in Austin. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth toured Saronic’s local facilities Friday as part of his “Arsenal of Freedom” initiative, getting an up-close look at the defense startup’s combat-tested flagship vessel, the Corsair.
An investigation is underway in South Austin after a Texas DPS officer was hit by a car Friday night at the intersection of South Congress Avenue and Ben White Boulevard. APD confirmed the officer was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Law enforcement has not yet disclosed whether charges or arrests are pending. (CBS Austin)
The Round Rock Police Department is investigating a death this morning in the parking lot at Memorial Park. Preliminary information indicates an apparent suicide.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has denied a request by the Travis County District Attorney’s Office to review the acquittal of former Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor, officially exhausting local prosecutors’ state-level legal avenues. The decision leaves intact an appellate ruling that overturned Taylor’s 2024 deadly conduct conviction stemming from the 2019 shooting death of Dr. Mauris DeSilva.
Skeletal remains were recently discovered outside Luling, bringing renewed focus to the nearly six-year-old disappearance of Texas State University student Jason Landry, according to the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the report in the 1400 block of Biggs Road, near its dead-end at Salt Flat Road.
Hutto is the latest Central Texas city to stop using the license plate reader cameras.
ICE activity was reported early Friday.
North Lamar and Braker Lane
North Lamar and Powell Lane, north of 183
The UT Dell Medical Center is set to become a premier destination for cancer treatment and healthcare in Central Texas. While the University of Texas has kept details about its development partners largely under wraps, a contractor has officially surfaced for one major component of the project. (Austin Business Journal)
Capital Metro’s newly relaunched bikeshare program is outpacing its initial recovery goals, logging nearly 21,000 trips as crews return bikes to the street ahead of schedule.
The temporary suspension of CapMetro’s Bikeshare service was triggered by a May 23 fire at its operations facility on East Ben White Boulevard in Southeast Austin.
Sunday is Austin Museum Day when residents can explore the city’s museums and cultural spaces for free.
Several Lake Austin businesses say a planned drawdown this fall could shut down operations for weeks, resulting in lost revenue, layoffs and potentially the cancellation of a holiday light tour.
Firefighters battled a grass fire Friday along SH 71 in Burnet County.
WEATHER
FRIDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Areas across the Midwest, including Chicago, are under a Level 3 out of 4 flash flood threat. Severe storms are sweeping across the Midwest, bringing rain totals over 6 inches to some areas. Some of the same areas dealing with this flood threat, are already waterlogged from days of heavy rain slamming the area earlier in the week.
UT Austin is phasing out majors focused on African diaspora, Mexican American and Latino, and women’s and gender studies. Enrolled students can complete their degrees, but officials are directing professors to develop a replacement major by semester’s end. (Texas Tribune)
Texas will receive $7.5 billion from the federal government to reimburse the state for border security costs, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday that he is shutting down a Houston-area facility he dubbed a “birth tourism center.”
Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, has run into recurring tax issues in Hawaii. Maui County records show that his Esther Blind Trust currently owes $4,551.77 for a parcel in Lahaina, comprising a $4,097 tax bill due August 20, plus $409.70 in penalties and $45.07 in interest. (Texas Public Radio)
Meanwhile, Paxton, with polls showing him trailing Democrat James Talarico in the Senate race, got a presidential boost Friday.
In the (Sunday) September 20 episode, Republican U.S. Representative Chip Roy explains why he thinks government must take a “human first” approach to regulating AI, and why he disagrees with President Trump calling AI safety fears a “hoax.”
And Democrat Clayton Tucker tells us why he’s so focused on data centers in his race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, and why one of the first things he’d do in office is conduct an agriculture impact study.
We already knew that Gov. Abbott thinks all Democrats are socialists and can’t be trusted. But why is one of his major campaign themes now slamming local Republican leaders around Texas about property taxes? And oh yes, we will get into the Bo French debacle when Harvey weighs in with his weekly commentary. Plus, Suzanne Bellsnyder joins us from Texas Rural Reporter to talk about whether Abbott’s campaign consultant Dave Carney is right to argue the anger over data centers is tapering off now.
(Episode from September 18, 2026)
The guys recap a busy week on the campaign trail and break down the weekend fallout that stemmed from Railroad Commission candidate Bo French. They also review a busy week of legislative interim hearings.
WHAT’S MAKING THE TEXAS SENATE RACE SO COMPETITVE?
One person is dead and another is in the hospital after Allen Police responded to what they describe as a domestic violence incident at a local Starbucks. (FOX 4 DFW)
Garza County first responders were on the scene Friday evening following reports of a cave collapse at Lake Alan Henry with one person trapped inside.
The legal battle over Texas’s new consumable hemp rules escalated on September 17 as the State filed its reply brief, pushing back against a bid by the Texas Hemp Business Council to reinstate an injunction against the regulations.
In its opposing brief filed on August 14, the THBC urged the court to bring back the injunction while arguing against a full appeal of the case. The State, meanwhile, continues to frame the high-stakes dispute around THC testing standards and whether the state holds the authority to regulate hemp products.
After a flurry of administrative rule changes, no government agency KUT News asked could say definitively whether possessing smokable hemp products remains legal across Texas, or whether a few crumbs of concentrate could bring a felony charge.
SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: In the Big 12 Friday night, 13th-ranked Texas Tech defeated 22nd-ranked Houston.
TODAY
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Austin ISD & Metro Core
- Georgetown East View 34, Austin High 24
- Elgin 15, Del Valle 7
- Crockett 61, Austin Akins 33
- Jarrell 49, Eastside Early College 6
- Florence 50, Austin Achieve 7
- Deweyville 54, Austin Navarro 6
WilCo & Surrounding Metro Suburbs
- Georgetown 61, Pflugerville Connally 7
- Lago Vista 51, Llano 36
- Killeen 16, Pflugerville Hendrickson 15
- Dripping Springs 62, Killeen Harker Heights 28
- Granger 46, Flatonia 32
Area Private Schools & Small School Matchups
- Johnson City LBJ 35, Comfort 14
- La Grange 66, Smithville 6
- Hallettsville Sacred Heart 48, Austin St. Dominic Savio 27
- Concordia 40, Summit Christian Academy 37
- Grace Academy 54, Valor North Austin 0
- Luling 42, Young Men’s Leadership Academy 0
MLB: Once again, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are tied atop the American League West at 77-77 each.
There are eight games left in the regular season.
Corey Seager had an RBI double in a four-run second inning fueled by a throwing error, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 on Friday night in the opener of a series matching AL playoff chasers.
The Rangers (77-77) reached .500 for a majors-leading 23rd time and pulled within one game of the White Sox for the third and final AL wild-card spot, although Chicago has the tiebreaker. The defending AL champion Blue Jays (76-78) are two games back in the wild-card race. (Associated Press)
Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson each hit a two-run homer as the Atlanta Braves clinched a playoff berth with a 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
The Braves secured at least a National League wild card and reduced their magic number to three for winning the NL East. (Associated Press via MSN)
ON THE SCHEDULE
MLS: Austin FC has a chance to move above the playoff line as it makes the short trip north on I-35 to face in-state rivals FC Dallas on Saturday night. The match is set for a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Toyota Stadium. (Austin FC)
This video explores the history and eccentric legacy of the Astrodome in Houston, famously dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Designed as the world’s first air-conditioned, indoor multi-purpose stadium, it served as a unique venue for professional sports, entertainment, and historic events.
