CNN, Politico and MS NOW announced Monday that they are suing the Trump administration after the White House revoked their journalists’ credentials and barred them from the White House grounds following Donald Trump’s public criticism of their coverage.
The three news organizations said they notified the administration Monday that they were filing the lawsuit to challenge the restrictions, arguing that the government cannot determine which news organizations receive access based on the content of their reporting. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, and the organizations are seeking expedited consideration.
The outlets said in a joint statement that their journalists lost access “without notice or process” because the administration objected to their reporting. They said the restrictions threaten the First Amendment and the public’s ability to receive independent coverage of the federal government.
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Trump announced the ban Friday on Truth Social, accusing the three outlets of engaging in what he called “fake news.” In remarks that day, he said the decision was based on what he described as a pattern of negative coverage over the previous two years.
Trump defended the move again Monday, describing the restrictions as an effort to combat what he called false and coordinated reporting and saying such coverage posed a national security threat. He has not identified specific stories that prompted the ban.
Reporters Barred From White House
The administration began enforcing the ban Saturday.
Secret Service personnel turned away reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico as they attempted to enter the White House grounds. Their press credentials were disabled, and at least some journalists were required to surrender their badges.
The action affected the outlets’ normal operations inside the White House. CNN and MS NOW workspaces were left empty after their access was withdrawn, while the outlets continued covering the administration from outside the complex.
The restrictions also affected the White House press pool. CNN had been scheduled for Monday pool duty, which involves one outlet providing coverage on behalf of the broader White House press corps. The White House’s Sunday evening media guidance did not list a major broadcast outlet for Monday’s pool assignment.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has criticized the administration’s decision, warning that excluding journalists because of their coverage raises serious constitutional and press-access concerns.
A Broader Fight Over Presidential Press Access
The lawsuit is the latest legal confrontation between the Trump administration and news organizations over access to Trump.
Trump previously barred Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One and some other presidential events after the news organization declined to adopt his preferred name, “Gulf of America,” for the Gulf of Mexico.
The Associated Press sued, arguing that the administration was retaliating against the organization over its editorial decision. Courts have issued rulings addressing the administration’s ability to restrict AP access, while litigation over the dispute remains ongoing.
The latest lawsuit presents a broader question over whether the White House can revoke journalists’ physical access because Trump objects to their coverage.
The three organizations are asking the court to intervene as the administration continues to determine how journalists are granted access to Trump and his staff.
The case could ultimately test the limits of presidential control over access to the White House and the constitutional protections afforded to journalists covering the executive branch.
