CNN, MS NOW, Politico to Sue Trump Administration Over White House Access

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have announced plans to sue the Trump administration after their journalists were denied access to the White House.

The three news organisations said on Monday that they had notified the government of their intention to file a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The proposed legal action seeks to restore the outlets’ access to the White House and challenge the administration’s decision to revoke the journalists’ credentials.

The organisations said the move violated their First Amendment rights and due process protections, arguing that the government should not determine what the press reports or publishes.

The dispute began after President Donald Trump announced on Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House.

Trump criticised coverage from the outlets, describing reports he disliked as “fake news” and saying he did not have to allow them into the White House.

Following the announcement, press credentials belonging to reporters from the three organisations were deactivated.

CNN’s Betsy Klein, MS NOW’s Akayla Gardner and Politico’s Cheyenne Haslett were subsequently denied entry to the White House complex while attempting to carry out their reporting duties.

The three organisations said the journalists were removed without notice or a formal process.

In their joint statement, the outlets said they were taking legal action to protect press freedom and the public’s access to independent reporting about the government.

The planned lawsuit is expected to seek emergency relief, potentially leading to a hearing before a federal judge as early as this week.

The White House had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the planned lawsuit.

The dispute has drawn attention from the White House Correspondents’ Association, which called for the reporters’ access to be restored and warned that restrictions imposed on one news organisation could affect other media outlets.

The organisations have maintained that their coverage of the Trump administration will continue despite the access restrictions. The outlets said the restrictions would not prevent them from covering the administration, but argued that losing access could affect their ability to gather information, attend briefings and report from the White House complex