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CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a White House press access lawsuit Monday against President Donald Trump’s administration. The news organizations allege that officials violated the First Amendment by revoking access because of their reporting.
The lawsuit seeks the immediate restoration of White House credentials for the outlets and their affected correspondents. It also raises due process claims under the Fifth Amendment.
White House Press Access Lawsuit Challenges Media Ban
Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer receive access to the White House. He accused the organizations of publishing false and unfavorable coverage.
The following day, reporters from all three outlets attempted to enter the White House complex. CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein, MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner and Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett were turned away.
Their press credentials had been deactivated or confiscated, according to the organizations. The reporters joined their employers as plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit filed in Washington.
The complaint names Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, communications director Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean Curran as defendants in their official capacities.
Outlets Cite First Amendment Protections
The plaintiffs argue that the administration engaged in viewpoint discrimination. That term describes government action targeting speech because officials disagree with its message or perspective.
According to the Associated Press, the complaint says the Constitution does not permit officials to remove press access solely because they dislike an outlet’s coverage.
The organizations also say officials provided no notice or process before revoking the credentials. They asked a federal judge to declare the ban unconstitutional and order the White House to restore access.
“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights,” the outlets said in a joint statement. They also defended the public’s right to receive journalism without government interference.
The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly. Trump nominated Kelly to the federal bench during his first presidential term.
Trump Defends Decision to Exclude Outlets
Trump denied that the restrictions represented an attack on press freedom. In a Monday Truth Social post, he said the administration was targeting what he described as “fake news.”
The White House did not immediately provide a separate response to the lawsuit. Trump previously said he did not believe news organizations should receive White House access while publishing stories he considers false.
The dispute has also affected pooled coverage of the president. CNN had been scheduled to provide television pool coverage during Trump’s Monday trip to New York.
ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, Fox News and CNN issued a joint statement supporting independent press access. The networks said no administration should restrict an organization because it objects to its reporting.
The television pool did not assign another network to replace CNN. That decision left the president’s scheduled events without the customary shared television camera.
Case Could Shape Future Press Access Rules
The lawsuit follows earlier disputes over White House press credentials. During Trump’s first term, a federal judge ordered officials to restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s pass after finding likely due process violations.
More recently, the Associated Press challenged restrictions imposed after an editorial disagreement with the administration. An appeals court allowed some limits involving restricted presidential spaces. However, the court distinguished those locations from areas generally open to credentialed reporters.
The new lawsuit involves a broader prohibition covering the White House grounds and briefing room. Its outcome could help define how far an administration may go when regulating access to government officials and public facilities.
The case will also test the balance between presidential control over access and the public’s interest in independent reporting. Until a court rules, CNN, MS NOW and Politico say they will continue covering the administration from outside the White House complex.