Trump gets tongue-lashing from Nicolle Wallace for press ban hiding 'disastrous' truth
MS NOW anchor Nicolle Wallace gave Trump a tongue-lashing for hiding a 'disastrous' truth with his press ban (CNN/Screenshot)
September 18, 2026
President Donald Trump's move to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House earned a scorching response from MS NOW's Nicolle Wallace on Friday's edition of "Deadline: White House."
The subject came up while she was interviewing Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a lawmaker himself locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over its efforts to mete out military punishment for his instruction for soldiers to refuse illegal orders.
"We'll wait and see whatactions they take," Wallace told Kelly. "But to yourpoint about his authoritarianpower grab happening in fullview and in the context ofdaily news cycles. I mean, thiscomes after a disastrous seriesof polls, including from FoxNews ... I mean,the truth is actually startingto seep in from all over."
That being said, she asked Kelly, "Iwonder what your counsel is forpeople who are going to stillbe trying to get the story outat a time when Trump is doingeverything to keep the truthfrom emerging."
The important thing, Kelly replied, is for all these outlets to "double down."
"You and CNN and Politico andother news organizations on theaccountability part of your job,keeping any government, thisone, the one before it,regardless of who is in theWhite House," said Kelly. These outlets, he said, have a job "to inform the American people," and even if that just got "a lot harder ... Ihope under these adversecircumstances that you're in,you will figure out ways to toreport to your viewers what ishappening, you know, insidethis government."