CNN, MS NOW and Politico said Monday they will sue President Donald Trump and senior White House officials to restore their reporters’ access to the White House, arguing that last week’s ban is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and a violation of the First Amendment.
The three outlets said they notified the government Monday morning that they would file the lawsuit the same day in federal court in Washington, D.C., along with an emergency request for a temporary restraining order that would immediately restore press credentials and White House access while the case proceeds.
Trump announced the ban Friday on Truth Social, saying he was barring “Fake News CNN, MSNOW … and Politico” from the White House “effective immediately” over what he called “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS,” “FICTION and LIES,” and cumulative “purposely negative” coverage. He later told reporters in the Oval Office that he did not have to let those outlets into “the people’s house,” and he warned that other organizations could follow.
The outlets say they received no notice or process before the credentials were revoked. CNN was also removed Monday from its rotation as the television pool representative for presidential events. In a joint statement, the organizations said: “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.”
On Saturday, Secret Service officers denied entry to White House reporters Betsy Klein of CNN, Akayla Gardner of MS NOW and Cheyenne Haslett of Politico and confiscated or deactivated their credentials.
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The outlets say they received no notice or process before the credentials were revoked. CNN was also removed Monday from its rotation as the television pool representative for presidential events. In a joint statement, the organizations said: “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.”
Their complaint argues that the Constitution does not allow a president to strip press access solely because he dislikes the content of coverage. The lawsuit names Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Communications Director Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean Curran.
The complaint also alleges a Fifth Amendment due-process violation and seeks both restoration of access and an order blocking further exclusion. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
Trump has said a free press is needed but that it must be “fair” and “honest,” and that courts should not permit what he calls fake news “day after day.” The White House Correspondents’ Association has said First Amendment protections do not depend on whether a president likes an outlet’s coverage.