CNN MSNBC and Politico to Sue US Trump Administration Over White House Ban
Photo: Collected
Major United States news organizations CNN, MSNBC, and Politico announced on Monday that they will file a lawsuit against the administration of United States President Donald Trump following a ban on their access to the White House premises. The media outlets contend that the restriction violates their constitutional right to gather presidential news under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The development follows President Trump's announcement last Friday imposing the ban on the three organizations, citing displeasure over negative reporting. On Saturday, journalists from the affected outlets were denied entry to the White House. Furthermore, CNN was removed from the television network pool representing White House correspondents on Monday.
In a joint statement, the three news organizations stated they had informed the United States government that legal action would be initiated.
The joint statement asserted that the White House revoked press credentials without prior notice or due process simply because officials disliked their reporting. The outlets warned that failing to challenge the decision would threaten freedom of the press and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference.
The ban marks a significant escalation in ongoing tensions between President Trump and the press corps in Washington. While the administration has previously favored more friendly outlets in the briefing room and previously moved to restrict Associated Press access to the Oval Office—a decision currently being challenged in court—the total prohibition of specific media organizations from the entire White House complex is unprecedented.
Press freedom advocates and other news organizations have strongly condemned the restrictions as unconstitutional. Lauren Easton, chief communications officer for the Associated Press, said in a statement on Saturday that no news organization or individual should face government retaliation based on the words they use.
Announcing the ban on Friday via a post on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump wrote that media outlets should not be allowed to endlessly write or broadcast fabricated and false news. Later that day, speaking in the Oval Office, he added that a country that permits people to maliciously write negative news has a fundamental problem.
Previous legal battles concerning journalist access have established precedent in federal courts, which have ruled that once government officials grant reporters access, they cannot exclude specific media outlets solely because they dislike their coverage.
During President Trump's first term, the White House revoked the press credentials of two journalists, CNN's Jim Acosta and Playboy correspondent Brian Karem. Both successfully recovered their credentials through separate legal challenges, with judges ruling in both cases that the White House must provide journalists an opportunity to contest such decisions before their press passes are revoked.
