Obama on Trump WH Press Ban: What Would Have Happened If I Said, "FOX News, You're Out of Here?"
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/09/19/obama_on_trump_wh_press_ban_what_would_have_happened_if_i_said_fox_news_youre_out_of_here.html

Former President Barack Obama reacts to President Donald Trump banning reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/09/18/trump_defends_wh_ban_of_cnn_msnow_politico_what_i_do_ask_is_a_semblance_of_truth.html).

FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: My imagination could not foresee some of the stuff that's going on right now. I believe there was just an announcement that the White House decided, you know what, CNN, MS NOW, maybe the New York Times was included, you just can't come to the White House press briefings anymore because you're giving the current president unfavorable coverage.

I'm trying to think what would have happened if I had said, you know what, FOX News, get out of here. It's unimaginable. But the point I'm making here is that if you have a certain cohort, let's call it 30 to 35% of the country right now, which thinks that's okay, well, what that means is we have not developed the kind of understanding of what democracy requires. And we've got to shore that back up. I don't think that's inevitable. I don't think all is lost on that front. But we have to roll up our sleeves and get working.