CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump administration for White House ban

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President Trump announced the ban on Friday, accusing the US media companies of writing “fiction or lies” about his Government.

On Monday, the news outlets released a joint statement announcing they were pursuing legal action to "defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports".

Prominent American TV networks later said they would stop airing White House pooled footage of Trump, creating a coverage gap for the US President goes to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The government is prohibited from "abridging" the freedom of the press under the First Amendment. This has been historically interpreted as legislation blocking the government from discriminating against the media based on their coverage.

Read more: CNN, Politico and MS NOW reporters 'denied access to White House' after Trump ban

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CNN, Politico and MS NOW said in their statement: "Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting.

"Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference."

The lawsuit was filed by the outlets on Monday in US District Court in Washington, who asked a judge to swiftly condemn Trump's ban as unconstitutional and prevent him from being able to implement it.

The US President previously took to Truth Social, to announce that the White House was not "instituting an assault on the Free Press" but rather that he was targeting "FAKE NEWS".

On Monday morning, the major American TV networks withdrew from White House pool duties, which allow media organisations to share material with one another to cut costs when airing presidential events to the public.

On Saturday morning, journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied access to White House hours after Donald Trump announced he would be banning the outlets for "constantly reporting fake news".

All three news outlets separately said their teams' press passes were confiscated morning when their journalists went to the White House.

The US President announced a ban on the three national news outlets from entering the White House over what he claimed were their attempts to "constantly write or report fiction or lies".

The president accused these outlets of reporting “FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States”. He did not provide evidence for these accusations.

Trump made this announcement on Truth Social on Friday where he stated: “I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW …and Politico…from the White House as a result of their constant “reporting” FAKE NEWS!”

On Saturday morning, MSNOW said its journalists had been denied access to the White House grounds

The network said in a statement: "The White House belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars.

"MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy."

CNN and Politico also said shortly afterwards that their reporters were turned away from the White House grounds on Saturday.

In a statement, CNN said it was "fully behind" its White House team and praised their "fair and accurate reporting".

The news channel said it had a constitutional right to carry out its reporting "without hindrance or interference from the government".

Politico said it would continue to report on the present White House administration and future ones, and defend its "First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them".

The National Press Club has condemned Trump's decision to ban the three networks and called on the President to reverse the decision.

President Mark Schoeff Jr described the move as "a clear attempt to control which voices are allowed to witness and report on the exercise of presidential power."

He said in a statement issued on Saturday: "Every American should understand what is at stake. If implemented, this ban would mark an unprecedented assault on press freedom."

He added that the First Amendment did not allow the President to "pick and choose" journalists and accused Mr Trump of weakening "one of the nation's strongest checks on those who hold power."

The statement continued: "The message today’s action sends is alarming. It tells other news organizations to soften their coverage. It tells reporters to think twice before asking difficult questions, or else lose access."

CNN slammed the announcement as “an illegal assault” on freedom of the press.

The outlet said: “CNN stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting. We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.”

This is not the first time that the Trump administration has attempted to ban outlets from government briefing rooms.

The Department of War, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, told outlets they would have to sign a pledge on only reporting approved material out of the Pentagon or risk losing their press passes in October, 2025.

Hegseth has now said that he “fully supports” the President’s efforts to ban outlets from the White House, stating: “We are grateful these outlets already chose to self-deport from the Pentagon.”

The US President did not provide details around what this ban would look like. He told reporters at the White House: “I don't want them in my office. I don't ⁠want them here. I would say the ‌ban would go as far as you can."

He made this announcement whilst a group from CNN was on a trip with Vice President JD Vance, and a number of ‘banned’ journalists were still on White House grounds.

According to a source familiar with the matter, even some White House staff were surprised by the announcement and were scrambling for details on Friday.

CNN previously sued the Trump administration and won in his first term when the president attempted to ban correspondent Jim Acosta from the White House.

POLITICO has also said it will "vigorously defend our First Amendment rights against any attempt to restrict them." MS NOW has not commented yet on events.

The White House Correspondents' Association President Jacqui Heinrich, who works at Fox News, said her organisation stands in "defence" of its colleagues.

"This is about more than the rights of journalists," said Heinrich. "It is about the right of the American people to receive a full and independent account of the activities, policies and decisions of whoever occupies the nation's highest office."

The White House currently does not have a press secretary following the sudden departure of spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.

Freedom of the press is a First Amendment right, and any attempt to ban outlets from the White House will very likely be met with a court battle.