Stories
CNN, Politico, MS NOW Sue Trump Over White House Press Ban
- •Three news organizations—MS NOW, CNN, and Politico—are suing President Donald Trump to overturn a blanket ban on their reporters at the White House.
- •The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Washington, argues the ban is a direct attack on the First Amendment and a breach of constitutional principles.
- •Trump announced the ban via Truth Social, accusing the outlets of publishing "fiction and lies"; reporters were subsequently denied White House access.
- •The outlets seek a temporary restraining order to reinstate press credentials and prevent further enforcement of the ban, naming Trump, Steven Cheung, Susan Wiles, and Sean Curran as defendants.
- •Legal experts, including the Knight First Amendment Institute, believe Trump is likely to lose, citing previous rulings against punishing journalists for unfavorable coverage.
Key Questions Answered
CNN, Politico, and MS NOW are suing President Donald Trump in federal court to overturn his blanket ban on their reporters at the White House. The news organizations argue that the ban violates the First Amendment and breaches constitutional principles because reporters hold liberty and property interests in their press credentials that cannot be stripped away arbitrarily.
Following the ban announced on Truth Social, the White House dropped CNN as the television pool network in the rotation for the White House travel pool. As a result, CNN was removed from traveling with the president to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
In April 2025, a federal judge ruled that restrictions placed on Associated Press journalists breached the First Amendment, stating the government cannot close doors to reporters based on their viewpoints. Although a three-judge appeals panel suspended that ruling in June 2025 while the administration appeals, the current lawsuit by CNN, Politico, and MS NOW has been filed in that same court.
