CNN, MS NOW and Politico Take Trump Administration to Court Over White House Ban

WASHINGTON — CNN, MS NOW and Politico have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after their journalists were denied access to the White House, escalating a growing dispute over presidential media access and First Amendment protections.

The three news organizations announced Monday that they had notified the government of their legal action and were seeking immediate relief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Reuters reported that emergency proceedings could take place as soon as this week.

The lawsuit follows President Donald Trump’s announcement on September 18 that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. Trump characterized their coverage as “fake news” and criticized the outlets’ reporting.

The organizations argue that the government crossed a constitutional line by revoking journalists’ access because of disagreement with their reporting. Their legal filing describes the action as a “direct assault on the First Amendment” and argues that the ban amounts to viewpoint discrimination.

The dispute became concrete on Saturday, when reporters from the three organizations were denied entry and had their White House credentials deactivated or confiscated. CNN reporter Betsy Klein, MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner and Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett were among those affected.

The media organizations say the restrictions were imposed without notice or a process allowing them to challenge the decision. They argue that allowing the government to exclude journalists based on unfavorable coverage could have consequences beyond these three organizations.

The White House had not publicly responded to the lawsuit at the time of the latest reports.

The case now places a federal court at the center of a major dispute over presidential control of White House access, press freedom and the constitutional limits on government officials’ treatment of news organizations.

The legal fight could also have broader implications for how journalists covering future administrations are granted access to the White House and whether officials can restrict reporters because of disagreements with their coverage.