CNN, Politico, MS NOW sue Trump administration over White House ban

Trump says ban targets ‘fake news’, which poses a ‘threat to our National Security’.

Leading news outlets CNN, Politico and MS NOW have sued the ⁠⁠administration of United States President Donald Trump after it banned them from the White House grounds.

“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” the outlets said in a joint statement on Monday.

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Later on Monday, their complaint was filed in the Washington, DC, federal court.

The White House revoked the credentials of the journalists of the organisations “without notice or process” because it “objected to our reporting”, their statement said. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”

All three outlets said on Saturday that their journalists were turned away from the White House grounds and their press credentials confiscated.

In the statement, they added that they would file ⁠⁠a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and could see emergency hearings in the case as soon as this week.

Also on Monday, leading US broadcasters, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said in a joint statement that they suspended TV “pool” coverage of Trump. TV broadcasters rotate responsibility for filming the president at some events.

“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting,” the statement said.

Later on Monday, US Vice President JD Vance defended the ban, saying it was not an attack on free speech as the affected media organisations could still report on Trump, get the public reports and talk to people in the administration.

“What the president has said is, we’re not going to give you special access inside the White House,” Vance said, claiming that the move was against “propaganda”.

“We have to remember those three outlets account about 92 percent of the stories that they have on the President of the United States on the administration are negative,” he said. “That’s not representative of the American people. It’s not representative of public opinion. So if you’re going to engage in what is effectively far left propaganda. Why would a Republican White House give you special access?”

‘Fake news’

Trump said on Friday he was banning the outlets from the presidential mansion as punishment for distributing what he called “fake news”.

He did not detail what prompted the ban but on Monday said it was not an attack on the free press, “which I cherish”, but “an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America”.

“It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control,” he wrote on Truth Social. “It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) called on the Trump administration to immediately restore access to the three outlets.

“The implications extend beyond these organisations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future,” WHCA president Jacqui Heinrich said in a statement on X.

“The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinise those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favourably.”

The Trump administration has been denying access to many ⁠⁠leading news organisations while elevating new media outlets seen ⁠⁠as more sympathetic to the administration. He has also filed a number of lawsuits against media giants, including The New York Times and CBS.

The move comes as his fellow Republicans seek to defend their narrow majorities in Congress in the November midterm elections. Pre-election opinion polls suggest the public is souring on Republicans and Trump’s approval ⁠⁠ratings are at near historic lows.