CNN, Politico and MS NOW challenge White House press ban in federal court
Three news outlets are arguing that a Trump administration ban on White House access violates the First Amendment, while the Justice Department defends the restriction as a response to alleged misconduct.
Three media organizations—CNN, Politico and MS NOW—are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Wednesday to seek an injunction against a White House ban that they say infringes on constitutional press freedoms. The outlets contend the ban is an unlawful "viewpoint-based" restriction and cite prior district-court and Supreme Court precedents.
The Justice Department, in a filing, argued that the ban was justified because the outlets allegedly failed to meet “basic minimum standards of professionalism and decorum,” citing instances of reporting on sensitive topics such as White House security, munitions supplies, and alleged leaks. The filing described White House access as a privilege, not a right, and gave the outlets a deadline to contest the decision.
More than forty media groups, including NBCUniversal, submitted an amicus brief urging the judge to lift the ban, describing it as “transparently viewpoint-discriminatory” and warning that similar future bans could impair newsgathering.
Judge Kelly, appointed by President Trump, previously ruled against a similar White House credential revocation in 2018. President Trump has publicly praised the judge and suggested an appeal, while also characterizing the banned outlets as “fake news” and asserting the ban protects national security.
The lawsuit notes that the ban disrupts the established press pool system, which relies on rotating network members to provide video and audio coverage of presidential events to other outlets and local affiliates.