White House Correspondents' Association

CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and Politico filed a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration after their reporters' White House press credentials were disabled over the weekend, calling the move an illegal "viewpoint discrimination" violating the First Amendment. Trump had announced he was barring the outlets over coverage he called "fake news," and reporters from all three organizations were turned away and had their badges deactivated on Saturday.

CNN was also removed from its rotating pool duties covering the president, and the broader TV pool said no replacement would cover presidential events in its place. The White House countered that access is "a privilege, not a right," while Vice President JD Vance called the outlets' coverage "far-left propaganda" and said the ban did not restrict their ability to report. Trump defended the move on Truth Social as targeting "fake news" rather than a free press he claims to "cherish." The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, follows similar litigation by the Associated Press over prior access restrictions. Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson is so far the only Republican lawmaker to publicly criticize the ban, though Mediaite reports others privately call it problematic.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington seeking to restore White House access after their reporters were denied entry and had press credentials revoked following Trump's announcement banning the outlets over what he called "fake news" coverage. The suit, naming Trump, aide Steven Cheung, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secret Service Director Sean Curran, argues the ban violates First Amendment press freedoms and 14th Amendment due-process rights, calling it unconstitutional "viewpoint discrimination." It cites the 1977 Sherrill v. Knight precedent barring arbitrary denial of press passes based on coverage content, as well as the earlier Jim Acosta case.

Trump denied targeting a free press, calling it instead an "assault on the FAKE News." The White House Correspondents' Association backed the outlets, warning the standard could be applied to any news organization. Separately, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News said they would no longer supply camera crews for White House pool coverage after CNN was removed from pool duties, leaving no television crews traveling with Trump to the UN General Assembly.

CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and Politico filed an emergency First Amendment lawsuit Monday in the DC District Court seeking to restore White House access after President Trump revoked their reporters' credentials over coverage he called "fake news." Reporters Betsy Klein (CNN), Akayla Gardner (MS NOW) and Cheyenne Haslett (Politico) had their press badges disabled Saturday and were denied entry; CNN also lost its pool coverage slot, meaning no television network traveled with Trump that day, an unprecedented gap.

The lawsuit names Trump, chief of staff Susie Wiles, spokesperson Steven Cheung and Secret Service chief Sean Curran, arguing the ban is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination lacking due process, citing precedent involving Jim Acosta and the Associated Press. White House Correspondents' Association president Jacqui Heinrich and press-freedom advocates called the move "textbook viewpoint discrimination," warning the precedent could later be used against any outlet. Trump has said he might expand the ban further, and legal experts widely expect courts to strike it down.