CNN, MS NOW and Politico said Monday they will sue the Trump administration in an effort to restore their access to the White House, after reporters from all three outlets were denied entry over the weekend.
“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 outlets said in a joint statement.
The statement said the White House revoked the journalists’ credentials “without notice or process” because officials objected to their coverage. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference,” the outlets added.
President Trump announced Friday afternoon that the three outlets were barred from the White House “effective immediately,” accusing them of publishing “Fake News.”
At a subsequent event in the Oval Office, Trump said the decision followed what he described as “cumulative stories over the last two years,” rather than a single report. “You get sick of it,” he said.
“I don’t want them in my office. I don’t want them here,” Trump said, adding that the ban should extend “as far as you can.” He also said he would welcome the outlets back if “they could straighten themselves out.”
