<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/cnn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNN</a>, MS Now, and <em>Politico</em> are filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration after President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> banned the three outlets from the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/white-house-press-corps/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">White House press pool</a> on Friday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“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 three outlets said in a joint statement.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Reporters from all three outlets were <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4734786/ms-now-denied-access-white-house-grounds-trump-enforces-ban/#google_vignette" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">denied access</a> to the White House grounds on Saturday, following Trump's announcement of the ban in a Truth Social post, where he stated it was due to their “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump wrote, “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The outlets are collaborating to challenge the president’s actions. They stated, “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.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump responded to the characterization in a Truth Social post on Monday morning, asserting, “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 added that it is a threat to national security that must be stopped.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This is not the first time Trump has faced legal challenges regarding media access. In 2018, CNN’s Jim Acosta sued the Trump administration after his press pass was revoked, with U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruling that the White House violated Acosta’s Fifth Amendment right to due process, leading to the restoration of his press pass.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In 2025, another Trump-appointed district judge, Trevor McFadden, ordered the Trump White House to restore the <em>Associated Press</em>’s access after it had banned the outlet for referring to the Gulf of Mexico incorrectly. The Trump administration later adjusted the newswire spots in the White House press pool.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When asked about previous court losses regarding similar outlet bans, Trump stated, “We’ll see.” He expressed that it is important to point out the issue, regardless of the outcome, and indicated that he believes a court should not allow what he terms as fake news to be reported.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The <em>Washington Examiner</em> has reached out to the White House for comment on the joint statement from CNN, MS Now, and <em>Politico</em>.</p>