CNN, Politico and MS NOW announced they are taking legal action against the Donald Trump administration after their journalists were denied access to the White House. The move followed the president's decision to ban the three media outlets, accusing them of publishing “fictions or lies“, News.bg reports.
Reporters from the three organizations were stopped while trying to enter the complex on September 19, and their passes were deactivated or confiscated. CNN reports that its reporter Betsy Klein was told that her pass had been deactivated by the Secret Service.
In a joint statement, the three media outlets said they would defend their First Amendment rights and the principle that the government should not dictate what the media can publish.
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects freedom of speech and the press. It is on this basis that the upcoming lawsuit will raise the question of whether the administration can restrict access to specific media outlets to the White House based on the content of their publications.
Trump did not specify the specific material that led to the decision. He later explained that it was an accumulation of publications in recent years and accused the three media outlets of deliberately negative coverage of his administration.
The president also hinted that the list could expand. Among the media organizations he criticized are The New York Times and The Washington Post. Trump has repeatedly clashed with American and international media outlets, and during his second term, his administration has been embroiled in other legal disputes with media organizations.
CNN, Politico and MS NOW have already signaled that they will defend their journalists' access through legal means. According to CNN, the lawsuits are expected to be filed in the coming days, with the outlets also potentially seeking emergency legal action to restore access.