CNN, Politico and MS NOW sue the Trump administration over ban on White House coverage

Media outlets CNN, Politico and MS NOW filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration after President Donald Trump banned them from covering the White House, NBC News reports.

The president announced the ban Friday on Truth Social, citing what he said was “their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”

In a joint statement on social media, the three outlets said they notified the administration Monday that they were filing the suit “to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”

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

Reached for comment on the lawsuit, the White House press office directed NBC News to Trump’s Truth Social post defending the move Monday morning. In the post, the president called the ban “an assault” on the news media, which he claimed is “a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”

Trump has targeted journalists and outlets he dislikes, but the ban is the most extreme instance so far of the president’s push to hinder press access.

Secret Service members turned away reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds and revoked their passes Saturday, prompting backlash from experts and the White House Correspondents’ Association, which called the move unconstitutional. CNN’s and MS NOW’s workspaces in the White House sat empty following their access being withdrawn.