CNN, MS NOW and Politico have sued the administration of President Donald Trump after their journalists were barred from the White House. The three news organisations argue that the ban violates their First Amendment rights.
The outlets filed their lawsuit in federal court in Washington, DC, on Monday. They are seeking a temporary restraining order that would restore their access to the White House. The case could move to an emergency hearing this week.
The organisations said the White House removed their journalists’ credentials because of their reporting. They argued that the government should not decide what news organisations can report or publish.
White House Defends Media Ban
Trump announced the ban on Friday. He has described the affected outlets as sources of what he calls “fake news.”
On Monday, Trump defended the decision again. He said the White House was not attacking the free press. Instead, he accused the targeted media organisations of posing a national security threat, without providing evidence for that claim.
The White House has taken a different position on access. The administration said First Amendment protections allow the outlets to publish but do not give them an automatic right to a White House credential, briefing room seat or place in the press pool.
Vice President JD Vance has also defended the decision. He described it as an issue of fairness and argued that the organisations could continue reporting outside the White House.
Reporters Turned Away From White House
The ban was enforced over the weekend.
Reporters from CNN and MS NOW were denied entry on Saturday. Their White House access badges had been deactivated. Politico later said its White House reporter was also refused entry and had her credential confiscated.
The three organisations continued their coverage from outside the White House grounds. Their lawsuit says the restrictions are preventing their journalists from carrying out normal White House reporting.
The case has been assigned to US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was nominated by Trump during his first term. Kelly previously handled a dispute involving White House press access.
CNN Removed From TV Pool Duties
The dispute has also affected the White House television pool.
CNN is one of five major television networks that share responsibility for covering the president. The pool allows participating networks to share footage from presidential events with other broadcasters.
CNN had been scheduled to cover Trump’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. After the White House blocked CNN from carrying out its assigned duties, the television pool announced that it would stop covering events designated as pool coverage.
The other networks said they would not create a replacement pool. As a result, major presidential events could temporarily lack the shared television coverage normally provided by the pool.
Dispute Adds to Long Press Tensions
Trump has had repeated disputes with news organisations during both of his presidencies. His administration has also taken other steps to restrict or challenge access for individual outlets and journalists.
The Associated Press has separately challenged restrictions on its White House access. The organisation was previously excluded from a group of reporters covering the president’s movements.
The latest lawsuit now places CNN, MS NOW and Politico at the centre of another legal dispute over presidential access and press rights.
For now, the court will determine whether the three organisations can regain access while their broader legal challenge proceeds.
