Archive · 21 Sep 2026
CNN, MS NOW and Politico Sue Over White House Ban
CNN, MS NOW and Politico are news organizations that report on the government.
Their reporters were stopped from entering the White House.
Some reporters said their press badges were turned off or taken away.
This happened after President Donald Trump criticized the organizations’ coverage as fake news.
The organizations say the government should not punish journalists because it dislikes their reporting.
They filed a lawsuit to defend freedom of the press under the First Amendment.
The White House did not immediately respond to one request for comment.
A federal court in Washington, D.C., may consider the case quickly.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over denied White House access.
President Donald Trump said Friday he was banning the outlets because of reporting he described as “fake news.”
Reporters Betsy Klein, Akayla Gardner and Cheyenne Haslett were denied entry on Saturday, with badges deactivated or confiscated.
The outlets said the credential revocations occurred without notice or process and violated First Amendment protections.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, with emergency hearings possible as soon as this week.
- Who
- CNN, MS NOW, Politico and the Trump administration; reporters Betsy Klein, Akayla Gardner and Cheyenne Haslett were specifically identified.
- What
- The three news organizations sued over the revocation or deactivation of journalists’ White House press credentials.
- When
- Trump announced the ban on Friday, reporters were denied entry on Saturday, and the lawsuit was filed on Monday.
- Where
- The access restrictions occurred at the White House, and the lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
- Why
- Trump said the outlets published reporting he considered fake news, while the outlets said the restrictions violated press freedom and their First Amendment rights.
News Organizations and Press Advocates
Donald Trump and His Administration
Press credentials and First Amendment rights
News Organizations and Press Advocates
CNN, MS NOW and Politico said their journalists’ credentials were revoked without notice or process because the White House objected to their reporting, threatening press freedom.
Donald Trump and His Administration
Trump said the outlets should be barred because he considered their coverage fake news and warned that other media organizations could face restrictions.
Reason for the ban
News Organizations and Press Advocates
The outlets said the government should not decide what the press reports or publishes and characterized the restrictions as government interference with independent journalism.
Donald Trump and His Administration
Trump said the organizations reported what he described as fiction and lies about him, his administration and the United States.
White House television pool
News Organizations and Press Advocates
CNN had been scheduled to serve as the Monday television pool network and said it would continue covering the U.S. government despite the restrictions.
Donald Trump and His Administration
The White House’s Sunday night press schedule did not identify a primary television network for Monday’s pool after CNN’s access was restricted.
- Plaintiffs
- CNN, MS NOW and Politico
- Defendant
- The Trump administration
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- Access restriction
- Reporters from the three organizations were denied entry to the White House on Saturday
- Identified reporters
- Betsy Klein, Akayla Gardner and Cheyenne Haslett
- Outlets’ legal basis
- First Amendment protections and freedom of the press
- Possible next step
- Emergency hearings could be held as soon as this week
- Television pool
- CNN had been scheduled for the Monday television pool, but the White House schedule did not name a primary network
Sources
'First Amendment Rights': CNN, MS NOW, POLITICO Sue Trump Government Over White House Press Ban
CNN, MS NOW, Politico sue Trump administration over White House access ban - Telegraph India
CNN, MS NOW & Politico File Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over White House Access Ban
