By Rajwa Quasim
CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration on Monday, challenging the decision to bar their journalists from the White House. The outlets are asking a federal court in Washington, D.C., to restore their access and press credentials.
The lawsuit follows Trump’s announcement on Sept. 18 that the three media outlets would no longer be allowed to work from the White House. After Trump announced the ban on Truth Social, reporters from the three organizations were turned away at the gates the following day, and some had their hard-pass credentials confiscated by Secret Service officers.
The lawsuit calls the ban a direct assault on the First Amendment. The outlets argue that it has already hampered their ability to cover the administration. They contend that the ban violates due process because they received no prior notice or hearing and were not given a clear standard for the decision. They also argue that the ban violates the First Amendment because they were punished for their viewpoints and reporting. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
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The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was nominated to the federal bench by Trump in 2017.
The three outlets said in a joint statement, “This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”
The statement further said, “This threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
Trump announced the ban in a Truth Social post, accusing the three outlets of publishing what he described as false and fabricated stories about him. He also warned that other media organizations could face similar restrictions. He wrote, “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.”
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On Monday, Trump defended the decision, saying the administration was not attacking the free press but was instead targeting what he called “fake news.” He said he cherishes a free press but described fake news as “something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America. It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security and must be stopped.”
The case comes as CNN was initially scheduled to be part of the press pool accompanying Trump to New York on Monday for the United Nations General Assembly. CNN was removed from the television networks covering Trump’s trip after the ban. Following the lawsuit, other members of the White House television press pool decided not to provide coverage of Trump’s events in response to the administration’s action against CNN.
The lawsuit was filed in the same federal court where the Associated Press is challenging White House restrictions on its journalists in a separate case. In 2025, Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that the partial ban on AP journalists violated the First Amendment and ordered the administration to provide AP journalists with access equal to that of other presidential press pool members. However, a three-judge appeals panel voted 2-1 to pause that ruling. The Trump administration’s appeal remains ongoing.