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CNN, MSNBC and Politico sued the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, days after being banned from White House grounds, calling the selective ban—based on the content of their coverage—illegal and a “flagrant violation” of the country’s constitutional First Amendment. The president posted on social media that he “appreciated” a free press, but not “FAKE NEWS”.
“Access to the White House is a privilege — not a right,” the administration posted on X.
The extraordinary ban on the reporters from the three outlets, which began over the weekend, represents a clear escalation of Trump’s long-standing efforts—in the courts and through administrative measures—to restrict news coverage he considers objectionable or, in his words, “fake news.” It is also the latest test for the guarantees protected by the First Amendment, which constitutionally prohibits the government from restricting the press.
The Constitution, the banned outlets said in their lawsuit, “does not allow a president or other government official to deprive the press of its First Amendment rights and its liberty and property interests without notice or process based solely on their dislike for the content of their coverage.”
The three outlets filed the joint lawsuit two days after their reporters were barred from entering the White House to do their jobs. Their press credentials were deactivated on Saturday, the day after Trump suddenly announced he was banning the outlets for coverage he labeled “fake news.”
A lawsuit and new coverage locations for the media
On Monday morning, the banned television networks were reporting from an intersection just outside the White House complex. CNN, for its part, was removed from its duties in the “pool,” which is shared by the five major networks. It was scheduled to cover the president's trip to New York for the UN General Assembly. In an email to its members, the television pool wrote that there would be no replacement coverage following the White House’s actions.
“As of today, the television pool will not cover events designated as pool coverage of the President,” the email, viewed by The Associated Press, said. “This follows the position of the White House that prevents CNN from fulfilling its assigned duties in the pool. No replacement pool will be implemented.”
CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, explained on air what this meant: “When the president does anything today, there will be no television camera with the president that is broadcasting and sharing these images” with the public.
The White House did not directly respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. But in a statement, it said of the three banned outlets: “The First Amendment protects your right to publish; it does not entitle you to a permanent pass, a seat in the press room or a spot in the press pool.”
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that he “appreciated” a free press.
“The White House is not instituting an attack against the Free Press, which I appreciate,” the president said in his post. “It is instituting an attack against FAKE NEWS, which has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States. It is corrupt, intentional, widespread, totally coordinated and completely out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and it must stop, NOW!”
Vice President JD Vance, for his part, argued that Trump’s decision was about “basic justice” and not a violation of free speech rights. Vance told reporters that the journalism of the three outlets is “effectively far-left propaganda,” and claimed they were still allowed to report, but not to have offices at the White House.
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[Publicidad]