CNN, Politico, and MS NOW have announced plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration following their exclusion from White House events.
President Donald Trump announced the ban on Friday, accusing these organizations of disseminating “fiction” and “lies” about his administration. The media outlets reported that their correspondents were denied entry to the White House on Saturday.
In a joint statement on Monday, the outlets stated they are pursuing legal action to defend press freedom from government interference.
Major U.S. television networks later announced they would suspend their participation in White House pooled coverage, potentially creating a gap as Trump headed to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
The First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting press freedom, traditionally interpreted as preventing discrimination based on content.
The media outlets’ statement emphasized that the White House revoked their credentials without notice, threatening press freedom and public access to independent journalism.
Trump later posted on Truth Social, denying an “assault on the Free Press” and reiterating his targeting of “FAKE NEWS.”
On Monday morning, major U.S. TV networks withdrew from White House pool duties, which traditionally involve sharing coverage to reduce costs and resources during presidential events.
CNN’s five-seat booth in the White House press area was closed, with their crew broadcasting from a public pavement instead.
A joint statement by ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC stated, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
These five networks, considered the only U.S. outlets with the infrastructure for live White House coverage, saw their combined media slot left vacant. The conservative outlet Real America’s Voice was designated as the secondary crew for Trump’s New York trip, where he was scheduled to meet Mayor Zohran Mamdani and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump did not specify which stories prompted the ban but cited “cumulative stories over the last few years,” adding he might consider additional outlets. When questioned about “fake news,” he named The New York Times and The Washington Post as targets.
In February, the White House announced it had taken control of the press pool, previously managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association, and restricted Associated Press access to certain areas due to their terminology change from “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.” AP has since filed a lawsuit over the restriction, which remains unresolved.
The administration has a history of legal challenges against media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC, with settlements reaching multimillion dollars in some cases. Trump’s lawsuit against the BBC continues.
