CNN and Other Media File Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over White House Press Ban

CNN, Politico, and MSNBC have filed a lawsuit in a Washington D.C. federal district court challenging the Trump administration’s decision to bar their entry to the White House, calling the move unconstitutional. President Trump had imposed the ban accusing these media outlets of publishing “false and fabricated” news. Following the ban, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC jointly announced their withdrawal from the White House television press pool. On September 22, Kathmandu, after the Trump administration barred its journalists from White House access, three major media organizations including CNN have initiated legal action against the administration.

On Monday, CNN, Politico, and MSNBC filed a suit in the U.S. District Court in Washington, deeming the administration’s ban unconstitutional. In a joint statement, these media outlets asserted that the government should not deny journalists access based on unfavorable coverage. They stated that they are pursuing legal recourse to uphold the principle that the government cannot decide what the press may report. President Trump announced the ban on CNN, Politico, and MSNBC from the White House last Friday.

Following the revocation of their access to the White House television press pool, the major U.S. television networks announced their collective withdrawal from the press pool. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC declared in a joint statement that everyone has a fundamental right to receive accurate and independent information about the government. CNN’s White House press studio was empty on Monday, and instead, CNN’s crew broadcast live from the public street outside the White House security perimeter.

CNN, Politico, and MSNBC said their press credentials and White House access were revoked without prior notice or due process. They warned that failure to challenge this decision would pose a threat to press freedom and independent journalism. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects press freedom, and courts have ruled that the government may not discriminate against media outlets simply because it dislikes their reporting.