CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue over White House press ban

CNN, MS NOW and Politico announced Monday that they are jointly suing the Trump administration over its decision to revoke their journalists’ White House credentials, arguing the ban violates constitutional protections for a free press.

Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from White House

The three news organizations said Sept. 21, 2026, that they had notified the government of plans to file the case in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The outlets are seeking a temporary restraining order that would restore their access while the case proceeds.

“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 organizations said in a joint statement Sept. 21, 2026.

“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.”

President Donald Trump announced Sept. 18, 2026, that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, describing the organizations as “fake news” and saying he objected to their coverage. Reporters from all three organizations were turned away from the White House the following day, with their credentials deactivated or confiscated.

The lawsuit alleges the administration violated the First Amendment by retaliating against the organizations because of their reporting. It also raises Fifth Amendment due process claims over the revocation of credentials without advance notice or an opportunity for the organizations to challenge the decision.

The legal challenge is expected to draw on a 1977 federal appeals court ruling in “Sherrill v. Knight,” which held that the White House cannot arbitrarily deny press credentials and established procedural protections for journalists when access is revoked. The case has long served as a key precedent in disputes involving White House press access.

Similar questions were raised in 2025 when the White House restricted The Associated Press’ access after the organization continued using the name Gulf of Mexico in its reporting. A federal judge initially ruled that the government could not punish a news organization because of its editorial choices, though an appeals court later paused portions of that decision involving restricted presidential spaces while litigation continued.

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Trump defended the latest restrictions Monday after the lawsuit was announced, writing on social media that the administration was targeting what he characterized as false reporting rather than the free press. He also called the news media a national security threat but offered no evidence supporting that assertion.

The White House had not immediately responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit Monday morning. The White House Correspondents’ Association has called for the outlets’ access to be restored, saying exclusion based on coverage could establish a standard that could later be used against other news organizations.