NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) mocked suggestions that media organisations would boycott him as he defended his decision to restrict CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House, saying the outlets have an “obligation” to report fairly.

Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters outside the Gracie Mansion following his meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The comments came hours after the three news organisations filed a federal lawsuit challenging the administration’s decision to revoke their White House access.  Earlier in a different Truth Social post,Trump criticised the lawsuit and questioned the decision by US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the federal bench during Trump’s first term.

“They said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me. So I wasn’t very worried about that. Look at all that press,” Trump said.

Defending the restrictions, Trump said his decision was based on what he described as an obligation to ensure fair media coverage.

“I’m only doing it because I think the press also has an obligation,” Trump said, adding that he believed his administration had accomplished significant things but received predominantly negative coverage.

Trump specifically criticised CNN and MS NOW, saying, “If you look at CNN, it’s fake news. If you look at MS Now—I don’t even know what MS Now is,” while accusing the outlets of being biased.

“I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair. And if they’re fake news, I really think I have an obligation not to allow them into another very special house,” Trump said, referring to the White House. “They’re very bad for the country, very bad for national security, so I have that obligation.”

The remarks followed a lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW and Politico against Trump and members of his administration. The outlets allege that the decision to bar their journalists from the White House violates First Amendment press protections and Fifth Amendment due process rights. A federal hearing is scheduled in Washington.

The dispute began after Trump announced on Friday that he was banning the three organisations from the White House, accusing them of repeatedly publishing what he called “fake news.” Journalists from the affected outlets were subsequently denied entry to the White House grounds, and some press credentials were disabled or confiscated.

The White House has defended the policy, arguing that the First Amendment protects the right of news organisations to publish but does not automatically guarantee an individual outlet access to the White House grounds, briefing room or presidential press pool.

The controversy has also affected the White House television pool. CNN had been scheduled to serve as the television pool network for Trump’s New York trip, but its removal disrupted the traditional arrangement in which participating networks share footage of presidential events with other news organisations. The remaining television networks subsequently halted pool coverage in solidarity with the affected outlets.

At Gracie Mansion, Trump also spoke positively about Mamdani and said he hoped the New York mayor would succeed.

“I certainly hope he will be a great Mayor. You have to understand — I want what’s good for New York. I want what’s good for the country… I want him to be a great Mayor, and he has got great potential,” Trump said.

Trump described Gracie Mansion as a familiar place, recalling his previous visits during the administrations of several New York mayors.

“I’ve been at Gracie Mansion, we were discussing, quite a few times over the years—a lot. And it sort of feels like a home, and it’s a special place,” he said.

Trump had earlier described Gracie Mansion on Truth Social as “one of my favorite places in the World” before travelling there for the meeting with Mamdani.

The President is in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly and is scheduled to address the high-level General Debate. His UNGA engagements include meetings with several world leaders, while the dispute over White House press access continues to unfold in federal court.

The three media organisations banned from the White House have argued that the government cannot selectively deny access because officials object to the content of their reporting. In their joint statement, they said the government should not decide “what the press reports or publishes.”

The case has drawn attention to the broader dispute over presidential press access and the limits of executive control over journalists covering the White House. Judge Kelly previously handled a lawsuit involving former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta during Trump’s first administration. (ANI)