Trump banned three news outlets from the White House. Now they're suing him
CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO are suing US President Donald Trump after the White House revoked their journalists' credentials and barred them from the complex, alleging violations of their First and Fifth Amendment rights.
The three news organizations announced the federal lawsuit on Monday, three days after Trump said their reporters would be banned from the White House “effective immediately.”
The outlets are asking the US District Court in Washington to quickly restore their journalists' access, declare Trump's ban unconstitutional and prevent White House officials from enforcing it.
“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 organizations said in a joint statement.
The journalists were denied entry to the White House complex on Saturday, and their credentials were confiscated by the Secret Service, according to POLITICO.
Trump says other media outlets could follow
Trump announced the ban on Truth Social on Friday, accusing CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO of publishing “FAKE NEWS,” “FICTION and LIES.”
He also criticized MS NOW's audience and credibility and accused POLITICO of benefiting from US government subscriptions under former President Joe Biden. Trump ended the post by saying: “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
Asked later about his reasons for the ban, Trump said the decision was based on the outlets' coverage over several years.
“It's really just cumulative stories over the last few years. You get sick of it,” Trump said. “They're smart people, but they purposely write negative news.”
The lawsuit argues that revoking the outlets' access because of their reporting violates First Amendment protections and that taking away their credentials without notice or a clear process violated their Fifth Amendment due process rights.
The news organizations also argue that the ban could have a chilling effect on other outlets, which could face similar exclusion if the president considers their coverage insufficiently favorable.
The White House and Justice Department had not responded to POLITICO's requests for comment at the time of publication.
Previous White House access disputes
Trump has faced similar legal challenges over press access before.
During his first term, federal judges ordered the White House to restore credentials to CNN correspondent Jim Acosta in 2018 and journalist Brian Karem in 2019, citing procedural problems surrounding their suspensions.
A more recent dispute produced a less clear-cut result. After Trump restricted the Associated Press' access in 2025 over its refusal to use the name “Gulf of America,” a federal district judge initially sided with the AP.
An appeals court later allowed the White House to continue excluding the AP from restricted presidential spaces including the Oval Office and Air Force One, finding that those locations were not subject to the same First Amendment protections as broader White House access.
The appeals court has yet to issue a final ruling in the AP case.
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