CNN, MS NOW and Politico have announced legal action against the Trump administration. This follows their journalists being barred from accessing the White House under the Trump White House ban.
According to Reuters, the three media organisations said on Monday that they had notified the government of plans to sue in federal court. They want to protect their First Amendment rights, citing the Trump White House ban as a clear threat to press freedom.
The lawsuit follows President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw White House access from the organisations. He accused them of publishing “fake news.” However, the media companies say the Trump White House ban is punitive and unprecedented.
Media outlets challenge Trump ban
The organisations argue that excluding their journalists because of their coverage amounts to government interference with press freedom. Therefore, the Trump White House ban has become a focal point in this legal dispute.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico said the case would be filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
Emergency court hearings could take place as early as this week.
The Associated Press reported that journalists from the three organisations had their credentials revoked. This action prevented them from entering the White House.
The dispute marks another escalation in Trump’s long-running confrontation with media organisations whose reporting he has criticised.
The White House had not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment on the announced lawsuit.
