Key facts
- Rep. Robert Garcia demanded answers from the White House regarding President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.
- Garcia called the ban an "assault on press freedom" and a violation of the First Amendment.
- The White House Communications Director, Steven Cheung, was sent a letter requesting details on the ban by October 5.
- The lawsuit filed by the news outlets accuses the administration of a "direct assault on the First Amendment."
- President Trump stated the ban was due to "cumulative stories over the last few years."
- A previous ban on the Associated Press was more narrowly targeted than the current ban.
Representative Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight committee, is demanding the White House provide details regarding President Donald Trump's decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO from the White House. Garcia characterized the ban as the president's "most blatant, assault on press freedom" and a violation of the First Amendment.
In a letter sent Monday to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, Garcia requested a detailed account of when and how Cheung was informed of the ban, his response, who was consulted, the legal justification, the facts relied upon, and whether the outlets had an opportunity to respond. The deadline for this information is October 5.
Trump announced the ban on September 18, labeling the outlets "fake news," and reporters were denied entry the following day. The news outlets responded by filing a lawsuit on September 21, asserting the ban was a "direct assault on the First Amendment" and a "blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles."
Experts suggest the ban, which Trump stated was due to "cumulative stories over the last few years," is more sweeping than a previous restriction on the Associated Press and may be more likely to be struck down in court. The AP ban, which centered on the outlet's refusal to use Trump's preferred term "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico," was more narrowly targeted and restricted access to specific areas. Trump indicated the current ban would be "as far as you can" go.