CNN, MS NOW and Politico have taken legal action against the administration of US President Donald Trump after their journalists were barred from the White House and their press credentials revoked.
The three media organisations said on Monday, September 21, that they filed the lawsuit to restore their access to the White House and defend their rights under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. The case was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
The legal action followed Trump’s decision on Friday to ban the three outlets from the White House, after accusing them of publishing what he described as “FICTION and LIES” about him, his administration and the United States.
In a joint statement, CNN, MS NOW and Politico said the White House revoked the credentials of their journalists without notice or due process because of objections to their reporting.
The organisations said they were seeking to defend the principle that the government should not determine what news organisations report or publish.
Their reporters were denied entry to the White House on Saturday, September 19, with their press passes confiscated after they arrived at the complex.
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Trump has defended the ban, saying he supports a free press but wants what he considers “fair and honest” reporting. He has also indicated that other media organisations could face similar restrictions.
The White House has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit, according to Reuters.
The dispute also affected CNN’s role in the White House press pool. The network had been scheduled to handle television pool duties and accompany Trump to New York for the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, but the White House removed it from the assignment.
The case now places the dispute over media access and the First Amendment before a federal court, with the three organisations seeking urgent relief to regain access to the White House. Reuters reported that emergency proceedings could take place as early as this week.
The lawsuit adds to a series of disputes between the Trump administration and news organisations over access to the White House and other presidential events.