CNN, MS Now, and Politico sue the Trump administration
The three major U.S. news outlets—CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—which were banned from entering the White House by U.S. President Donald Trump, have filed a lawsuit to restore their access. The emergency motion is scheduled to be presented to a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., and could lead to hearings and legal arguments from the administration as early as this week.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, the three news organizations said: “This morning, we informed the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our rights guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution, and to defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press broadcasts or publishes.”
The news organizations added: “The White House revoked our journalists’ press credentials without prior notice or formal procedure, in retaliation for our news coverage. Failing to address this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
This dispute is one of the most prominent attacks on the press by the administration to date, with implications that extend far beyond the three banned news organizations. On Friday, when announcing the ban, Trump stated that he might add other outlets to the list.
Journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are currently unable to access their workspaces inside the White House. CNN and MS NOW have also been barred from using their television equipment and camera positions within the complex, according to the three organizations.
On Monday, the White House removed CNN’s coverage responsibilities under the shared rotation system among major news outlets. CNN had been scheduled to handle television coverage on a rotating basis and to accompany the President to New York on Monday.
The lawsuit filed by the news organizations is expected to rely heavily on what they described as “vague justifications” provided by Trump for banning the three outlets, in which he said he dislikes “negative news.” Trump also stated: “If they want to write it, that’s fine. But I don’t have to let them into the People’s House.”
Following Trump’s announcement that he was barring the three organizations from the White House due to his “dissatisfaction with their coverage,” the press credentials of journalists to the White House complex were suspended. On Saturday, Akyla Gardner, a reporter for MS NOW, Betsy Klein, a reporter for CNN, and Shayne Hasset, a reporter for Politico, attempted to enter the White House complex to cover news, but the U.S. Secret Service prevented them from entering and confiscated their press credentials.
