News outlets sue Trump over White House press ban
by Mary McCue Bell · The Washington TimesA trio of news outlets is suing the Trump administration following their ban from the White House, citing First Amendment violations.
CNN, Politico and MS NOW were barred entry from the White House complex on Friday and subsequently had their reporters’ credentials deactivated and confiscated Saturday.
President Trump said he banned the outlets for intentionally reporting “fake news.”
“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 media organizations said in a joint statement Monday morning.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” the statement said. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
The three alleged in the lawsuit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in Washington, that Mr. Trump issued the prohibition simply because “he dislikes the content of their coverage of him and his administration.”
SEE ALSO: Republicans back Trump’s ban of liberal news outlets from White House
In the suit, the outlets detail the president’s repeated opposition to their coverage of him and his administration, labeling this prohibition both discrimination and retaliation against their work.
Mr. Trump’s statements “make clear he implemented the ban to coerce more favorable coverage of the administration,” the suit reads.
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The president’s basis for their ban was a “result of their constant ’reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”
“It’s really just cumulative stories over the last few years. You get sick of it,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office Friday. “They’re smart people, but they purposely write negative news.”
In response to the lawsuit, Mr. Trump said that the White House is “not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish.”
“It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America,” he said on Truth Social. “It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”
CNN, Politico and MS NOW argue that the embargo infringes on their First Amendment freedom of speech and news-gathering rights.
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“This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles,” the lawsuit reads.
The outlets are asking a judge to quickly rule Mr. Trump’s ban unconstitutional and prevent his administration from enforcing it.
Named in the suit are Mr. Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean Curran.
The three media outlets are not the first to have been banned from the White House.
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The Trump administration indefinitely barred AP reporters in February 2025 from restricted press pool events after the news outlet declined to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of the Trump-decreed Gulf of Mexico. The core legal battle is still ongoing.
CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and FOX make up the White House TV pool, alternating coverage of the president’s events and trips. As of Monday, there is no scheduled TV pool, CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang said, meaning Mr. Trump will not have a media crew with him at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The president has actively pursued multiple high-profile defamation and legal actions against major news organizations.
He filed a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against The New York Times over critical coverage and reporting on his business career and background, which a federal judge is currently considering after refiling.
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Mr. Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC regarding an edited 2024 Capitol speech documentary. The two parties appointed a former judge for court-mandated mediation.
He has also pursued legal actions or threats against outlets like The Wall Street Journal and previously secured financial settlements from networks including ABC News.
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Mary McCue Bell
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