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CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the Trump administration Monday after their reporters were barred from the White House over coverage.
The lawsuit seeks to restore their access, while major television networks suspended pooled coverage of the president in response to the ban.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued President Donald Trump and members of his administration Monday, arguing that their exclusion from the White House violated First Amendment protections and due process. The three organizations asked a federal court in Washington to intervene after their reporters were denied entry and their White House credentials were revoked without prior notice.
The lawsuit followed Trump’s announcement Friday that he was banning the three news organizations from the White House. The administration has defended the move by saying White House access is a privilege rather than a right, while Trump has accused the outlets of publishing what he calls “fake news.” He has also characterized their reporting as a national security threat without publicly providing evidence for that claim.
The dispute expanded Monday when the five major television networks that make up the presidential TV pool halted pooled coverage of Trump’s events. CNN had been scheduled to provide pool coverage of the president’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, but the other networks declined to appoint a replacement after the White House prevented CNN from carrying out its assignment.
The television pool normally rotates responsibility among ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC for providing shared video of presidential events to broadcasters and other news organizations. Its suspension meant there was no regular network pool camera accompanying Trump during his Monday activities, limiting the shared television footage available to other outlets.
The legal dispute centers in part on whether the administration can exclude particular news organizations because of the content of their reporting. The three outlets argue that government officials cannot selectively restrict journalists’ access without notice or process because officials object to their coverage. The White House has maintained that the First Amendment protects the outlets’ ability to publish but does not guarantee them access to the White House, briefing room or presidential press pool.
The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump during his first term. Kelly previously ruled in favor of CNN reporter Jim Acosta in a 2018 dispute after the first Trump administration attempted to revoke Acosta’s White House press credentials.
The confrontation comes after other disputes between the Trump administration and major news organizations. Last year, the administration restricted Associated Press access to certain presidential events after the news agency declined to adopt Trump’s preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico, and the AP subsequently challenged the restrictions in court. The administration has also imposed restrictions on journalists covering the Pentagon.
The dispute was unfolding at the White House as Trump inaugurated a new helicopter landing pad on the South Lawn. Trump cut a ceremonial ribbon before departing Washington for New York, but the event did not receive the normal live television pool coverage because CNN had been prevented from carrying out its scheduled pool assignment.
The helipad was built to accommodate newer Marine One helicopters that are larger than aircraft previously used for presidential transportation. Trump has said the project cost about $6 million and was privately funded by Sikorsky Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary.
The court case is now set to determine whether the administration can maintain the restrictions while the broader dispute over White House press access continues. A hearing on the outlets’ request for temporary relief is scheduled for Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Sources: The Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, NBC News and The New York Times.