CNN, MS NOW and Politico are taking legal action against the Trump administration after their White House press access was revoked
The outlets say the ban violates their First Amendment rights, arguing that the government should not restrict journalists because of their reporting
Trump barred the organisations from the White House after accusing them of publishing “FAKE NEWS”, escalating his continuing clash with major US news outlets
CNN, MS NOW and Politico said they had notified the US government that they would file a lawsuit on Monday to challenge the revocation of their White House press access.
In a joint statement posted by CNN Communications on social media platform X, the three organisations said they were taking legal action to protect their First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government should not decide what the press reports or publishes.
The outlets said the White House revoked their journalists’ credentials “without notice or process” because it objected to their reporting, and argued that leaving the decision unchallenged would threaten press freedom and the public’s access to independent journalism.
Trump’s Ban
President Donald Trump announced the ban on Friday in a post on Truth Social, saying CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House because of what he called “FAKE NEWS” coverage.
Trump accused the outlets of repeatedly publishing what he described as fiction and lies about his administration and the United States. He also warned that “other Fake News Media Outlets” could follow.
The White House ban came into effect over the weekend. Trump has defended the decision, saying the media organisations should not be able to report what he considers false information while covering his administration.
The three outlets had previously said they would defend their First Amendment rights. CNN, in an earlier statement, described the threatened ban as an attack on its constitutional right to report without government interference, while Politico said it would continue covering the White House.
The outlets’ statement said the case would challenge the government's decision to revoke their journalists’ access because of objections to their reporting. The organisations said the issue went beyond their individual access and concerned the principle of independent journalism without government interference.
Trump’s decision has therefore moved from a dispute over White House press access to a legal challenge by the affected news organisations.
