CNN, MS NOW and Politico to sue Trump administration after journalists denied White House access
CNN, MS NOW and Politico said Monday they will sue the Trump administration after their journalists were denied access to the White House. The three news outlets said they had notified the government that they were filing a lawsuit to protect their First Amendment rights.
The announcement came two days after reporters from the three organisations were blocked from entering the White House and had their press credentials disabled. The outlets said their credentials were revoked “without notice or process” because the White House objected to their reporting.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico announce lawsuit
“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,” CNN, MS NOW and Politico said in a joint statement.
The outlets said the White House had revoked their journalists’ credentials “without notice or process” because it “objected to our reporting”.
“Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference,” they said.
The three organisations posted the statement on X on Monday, two days after their reporters were denied entry to the White House and prevented from carrying out their work.
Trump says outlets report ‘fiction and lies’
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, saying the outlets were distributing what he called “fake news”.
Trump did not detail what had prompted the ban. He said, “media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States.”
The 80-year-old Republican, who has had a long-running contentious relationship with mainstream media, also warned that other outlets could face a similar fate, although he did not specify which ones.
In his second term, Trump and his Republican administration have increased their actions against certain media outlets through court and administrative measures. Trump has also criticised individual reporters in person and on social media, including during briefings and in a recent speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Reporters denied entry to White House
White House reporters from CNN and MS NOW were among those turned away on Saturday. CNN reporter Betsy Klein and MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner went live to report that their press badges had been deactivated when they arrived for work at the White House.
Politico later said its White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry and had her badge confiscated.
CNN had been scheduled to serve as the White House TV pool broadcaster on Monday. The rotating assignment involves one broadcaster filming on behalf of television outlets for the day. Updated guidance from the White House late Sunday instead listed a back-up crew.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Monday.
White House Correspondents’ Association seeks access to be restored
White House Correspondents’ Association president Jacqui Heinrich called on the Trump administration to immediately restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
“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,” Heinrich said.
“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,” he added.
(With inputs from AP and AFP)
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