CNN, MS NOW and Politico are suing the Trump administration for exclusion of their journalists from the White House. The three groups claim the ruling infringes their First Amendment rights and are asking a court to lift the ban on their access.
The lawsuit was announced Monday following the outlets’ notice to the government of their plans. They have petitioned a federal court in Washington, D.C., to rule on the case in an expedient manner and provide interim relief pending the resolution of the larger legal battle. Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, ABC News
The controversy started Friday when President Donald Trump stated that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer have access to the White House. The outlets published what Trump called “fake news,” and other media outlets may be subject to similar treatment, he said.
The restrictions came into effect the next day. All three groups’ reporters were barred from the White House grounds and their press credentials were deactivated or seized. CNN was also to be the television pool outlet for Monday, but the White House backed up with another crew.
The three groups said that their credentials were withdrawn without notification or a chance to contest it in their joint statement. They said the government shouldn’t decide who gets to report from the White House because of its disagreement with those outlets.
His administration was not “attacking the free press,” Trump said Monday, as it was aiming to stop “fake news.” He also called the media outlets a threat to “national security” but Reuters said he did not give evidence for that claim.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has supported the impacted journalists. Revoking access on coverage would set a precedent that could be extended to other news outlets, its president Jacqui Heinrich said Saturday.
The litigation also brings back some of the old battles regarding White House press access during Trump’s first term. CNN reporter Jim Acosta and Playboy writer Brian Karem had their press credentials restored by federal courts in the past following disputes with the White House.
The latest lawsuit comes as Trump is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. CNN was to be among the television press pool covering his official activities, but its removal means another broadcaster will be covering his activities during the legal battle.
The court has yet to decide on the news organisations’ request. The case could set precedent for the White House to bar known reporters from its grounds over disagreements with their reporting, but that will be a matter for the courts.
