Trump Bars CNN and Politico From the White House; Media Outlets Take the President to Court

CNN, POLITICO and MS NOW have announced they will sue U.S. President Donald Trump and several senior administration officials, after their journalists were stripped of access to the White House. The outlets are asking a federal court in Washington for the immediate restoration of their accreditations.

The ban was enforced on Saturday, when journalists from the three outlets were denied entry to the White House complex and had their access cards seized. CNN publicly confirmed the measure, while Trump had announced it a day earlier, criticizing reporting he calls “fake news.”

The three media organizations argue the decision violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects press freedom, as well as the procedural guarantees of the Fifth Amendment. These are the plaintiffs’ legal claims, and it will be up to the court to rule on the legality of the measure.

Trump has said the decision is tied to what he considers persistently negative reporting about him. The administration and supporters of the measure argue the president has the authority to restrict access to certain government spaces — an issue that has already been the subject of previous court clashes.

The case revives the debate over the limits of the White House’s power to determine journalists’ access. In 2018, a court ordered the temporary restoration of CNN journalist Jim Acosta’s accreditation, while the later battle between the Associated Press and the Trump administration produced more complex rulings on access to restricted presidential spaces.

The White House Correspondents’ Association has opposed the measure, arguing that excluding a media outlet because of the content of its reporting could set a precedent for other media organizations.

The clash between the Trump administration and three of the largest U.S. media outlets now moves to court, where CNN, POLITICO and MS NOW are seeking a swift order restoring their journalists’ access to the White House.