CNN, Politico and MS NOW have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after their journalists were barred from the White House, escalating a dispute over press access and First Amendment protections.
President Donald Trump announced the restrictions on Friday, accusing the three organisations of publishing “fiction or lies” about his administration. The outlets said their reporters were subsequently denied access to the White House on Saturday.
In a joint statement on Monday, the organisations said they were taking legal action to “defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports”.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” the statement said.
“Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
The lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Washington on Monday. The three organisations are seeking a prompt ruling declaring the White House restrictions unconstitutional and preventing administration officials from enforcing them.
Trump rejected accusations that his administration was attacking press freedom. Writing on Truth Social, he said the White House was not “instituting an assault on the Free Press” and maintained that his actions were directed at what he called “FAKE NEWS”.
The dispute also prompted major US television networks to suspend their participation in pooled White House coverage of Trump.
The pool system allows media organisations to share reporting, video and other material from presidential events where space and logistical restrictions prevent every outlet from maintaining its own crew.
The action followed the White House’s decision to prevent CNN from carrying out its scheduled pool duties during Trump’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC issued a joint statement defending independent media access.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” they said. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
The dispute comes as Trump travels to New York for the UN General Assembly, with the suspension of pooled television coverage potentially affecting how live footage of presidential events is distributed to US media organisations and the public.