POLITICO, CNN, and MS NOW have filed a joint federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to immediately restore White House access for their journalists after their credentials were confiscated by the Secret Service this past Saturday.
In a statement released Monday, the news organizations framed the legal action as a defense of fundamental democratic principles.
“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 statement read. “Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
The outlets are asking the U.S. District Court in Washington to declare the ban unconstitutional and issue an injunction to prevent the administration from enforcing it. Their legal team, led by Theodore Boutrous Jr. of Gibson Dunn, argues that the sudden revocation of access without notice violates both the First Amendment’s protection against retaliation for reporting and the Fifth Amendment’s due process and property rights. The suit names President Trump, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Communications Director Steven Cheung, and Secret Service Director Sean Curran as defendants.
President Trump responded to the filing on Truth Social early Monday, doubling down on his stance against the outlets. “The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America,” he wrote. “It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”
The ban, announced on Friday, was described by the President as a response to “cumulative stories over the last few years.” During an Oval Office photo-op, Trump remarked, “You get sick of it. They’re smart people, but they purposely write negative news.” Despite the President’s characterization of the coverage as “fiction and lies,” he has provided few specific examples to justify the unprecedented move.