United States President, Donald Trump, is facing a legal challenge from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after the three media organisations sued his administration over the revocation of their White House press credentials.
The organisations said on Monday that they filed the lawsuit to regain access to the White House and challenge what they described as a violation of their First Amendment rights.
The legal action followed Trump’s decision to bar the three outlets from the White House grounds after accusing them of reporting what he described as “FICTION and LIES” about him, his administration and the United States.
In a joint statement, the organisations said, “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.”
They added, “Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
The reporters were turned away from the White House on Saturday, September 19, after the ban was announced.
Their press passes were reportedly confiscated when they arrived at the complex.
Trump had announced the ban on Friday, accusing CNN, MS NOW and Politico of publishing what he called “fiction and lies”.
The outlets have rejected the accusation and defended their reporting.
CNN had earlier described the move as an “illegal assault” on its constitutional right to carry out journalism without government interference, while maintaining that its reporting was fair and accurate.
Trump subsequently defended the decision, saying he supported a free press but wanted what he called a “fair and honest press.”
“It’s sick. I mean, there’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stuff. Now, if they want to write them, that’s fine. But I don’t have to let them into my, into the people’s house,” Trump said.
The dispute has now moved to federal court, with the three organisations seeking to overturn the restrictions and restore their journalists’ access to the White House.
Reuters reported that the case was filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit comes amid continuing tensions between Trump’s administration and several major news organisations over media access and coverage of the president.
The White House also removed CNN from its scheduled Monday assignment as the television pool representative for the White House press corps.
CNN had been expected to serve as the primary television pool network and accompany Trump to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, according to Reuters.
The Associated Press and the White House Correspondents’ Association have also criticised the restrictions, with the press association calling for the affected organisations’ access to be restored.
