President Donald Trump has drawn renewed attention after responding to a reporter’s question about China’s treatment of journalists by saying that the United States is “repressive also,” before arguing that American media outlets engage in “fake news.”
The exchange occurred Friday, September 18, 2026, during questions at the White House. A reporter was discussing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington and described China as one of the world’s most repressive countries for journalists. Trump interrupted and replied: “Well, I don’t know about that. I think we’re repressive also.” He immediately added, “We get fake news. We don’t repress, but they write fake news.” The exchange is recorded in the transcript of Trump’s remarks.
TRUMP LINKS MEDIA CRITICISM TO “FAKE NEWS”
DONALD TRUMP comments came shortly after he announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. He accused the outlets of publishing what he described as “fiction and lies” about his administration. The precise practical scope of the announced restrictions was not immediately clear, with reporters subsequently asking whether the outlets would lose access badges, the press pool or access to the Oval Office.
When questioned about the ban later in the same Oval Office session, Trump said he did not want the targeted outlets in his office and indicated that the restrictions would go “as far as you can.” He also suggested that other media organizations could face similar treatment.
The timing of the remarks intensified the attention surrounding them because DONALD TRUMP was discussing press freedom while simultaneously defending restrictions against particular news organizations. The Atlantic characterized the broader episode as part of Trump’s continuing conflict with the press, while other coverage focused specifically on the president’s comparison between the U.S. and China.
XI JINPING VISIT AND U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS
Trump’s comments came as he prepares to meet Xi Jinping in Washington on September 24. During the exchange, Trump emphasized that he and Xi have a good relationship and said he expected the two countries to reach agreements during the visit. He also said the United States and China “get along very well.”
DONALD TRUMP also discussed the two countries’ intelligence activities, saying that while China may spy on the United States, “we spy on them, too.” He declined to provide classified information about U.S. intelligence operations.
The episode has therefore placed Trump’s comments about China, press freedom and his administration’s relationship with American media outlets into the same political conversation. While Trump’s “we’re repressive also” remark was followed by his insistence that the United States does not repress the press, the wording itself has generated significant attention because it came in response to a question specifically concerning China’s restrictions on journalists.
OGM NEWS reports that DONALD TRUMP latest remarks have opened another chapter in the long-running confrontation between the White House and sections of the American press, just days before the president’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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