Key facts
- CNN, Politico and MS NOW are suing the Trump administration over access to the White House.
- The news outlets cite First Amendment rights, arguing the government cannot discriminate against the press based on content.
- President Donald Trump announced the ban, accusing the outlets of writing "fiction or lies".
CNN, Politico and MS NOW announced on Monday that they have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to protect their First Amendment rights after President Donald Trump's announcement that he would ban them from the White House.
Trump announced the ban on Friday, accusing the three organizations of writing "fiction or lies" about his government. The companies said their reporters were denied access and had their badges seized when attempting to access the building on Saturday. In a joint statement, they said they were pursuing legal action to "protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes."
Courts have previously ruled that officials cannot discriminate based on viewpoint or content when restricting journalist access. In 2018, CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta had his hard pass suspended, but a judge ordered its restoration. The following year, freelance journalist Brian Karem of Playboy also had his credential returned after a federal judge found the rules of decorum unclear. The Associated Press sued after being barred from East Room events and removed from the White House press pool. A D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling stated that restricted presidential spaces are not First Amendment fora.