CNN, Politico and MS NOW sue Trump administration over White House ban

Washington — President Donald Trump has suggested that more news outlets may be barred from the White House after he announced the ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, according to a report from wacotrib.com. The statement, made following the initial restrictions, signals potential expansion of the conflict over press access, though no specific outlets were named in the report.

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing the president of violating the First Amendment by barring their journalists from the White House. The outlets allege the ban, announced by Trump on Friday, was retaliatory and aimed at stifling critical coverage, marking one of the most significant clashes between the administration and the press in recent years.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks to block the ban immediately and restore press credentials to affected journalists. It argues that the White House is a "nonpublic forum" where access must not be restricted based on viewpoint, and that Trump’s actions constitute unlawful retaliation against protected newsgathering. The complaint states that the president "expressly" targeted the outlets for their "negative" reporting, violating constitutional principles by denying them access without notice or process.

Trump announced the ban on Truth Social on Friday, accusing the outlets of "writing fiction and lies" and vowing to target "other Fake News Media Outlets" in the future. The president’s post cited "cumulative stories" by the targeted organizations, stating, "You get sick of it." He also mocked MS NOW, claiming it had "recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility," and criticized Politico for receiving $8 million in government subsidies under President Joe Biden.

Journalists from the three outlets were denied entry to the White House on Saturday, with press badges confiscated by the Secret Service. CNN reporter Betsy Klein described her experience, saying her hard pass failed at a security checkpoint and that a Secret Service agent told her the badge had been deactivated. MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner reported a similar incident, with an officer stating her badge had been disabled. The White House Correspondents’ Association criticized the restrictions, with its president Jacqui Heinrich warning that the decision could set a dangerous precedent for other outlets.

Trump defended the ban on Monday, denying it was an "assault on the Free Press" and framing it as an effort to combat "fake news." In a post on Truth Social, he accused the media of being "corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, and totally out of control," calling it a "threat to our National Security." He also threatened to target other outlets, naming the New York Times and Washington Post as potential future targets.

The lawsuit highlights the administration’s broader pattern of targeting media organizations. In 2025, Trump’s team barred Associated Press reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One after the outlet refused to adopt his proposed name change for the Gulf of Mexico. A separate lawsuit by the AP remains pending, with a federal judge previously ruling that the ban violated the First Amendment.

The case centers on two primary constitutional claims: First Amendment retaliation and Due Process violations. It asserts that Trump’s ban is a "viewpoint discrimination" that violates the principle that government cannot restrict access to a nonpublic forum based on the content of speech. The complaint also argues that the president failed to provide clear standards or an opportunity for the outlets to challenge the decision, violating the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.

The White House and Justice Department have not commented on the lawsuit, but the case could set a precedent for future conflicts over press access. The White House’s Sunday night "Daily Guidance and Press Schedule" did not name a primary television network for Monday’s pool, disrupting CNN’s planned coverage of Trump’s U.N. General Assembly trip. The dispute now centers on the White House television pool, a rotating arrangement involving five major networks that provides shared footage of the president’s activities.

Trump’s actions received support from allies, including U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, who told CNN’s Dana Bash that the president’s move was "spot on" and that media outlets "don’t have an inherent right" to access government facilities. Republican Senator Tom Barrasso (WY) defended the ban on Sunday, arguing that the press has an "obligation to report fairly" and dismissing concerns about constitutional violations.

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University has previously criticized Trump’s approach, stating that the president cannot "punish journalists because he doesn’t like their coverage." The institute noted that courts have repeatedly ruled against similar actions, emphasizing that the First Amendment protects the press from government interference based on content.

The next key development will be the court’s response to the lawsuit, including whether a temporary restraining order is issued to halt the ban while the case proceeds. Meanwhile, the White House’s stance on press access remains a focal point of political and legal scrutiny.

New details from recent reports shed light on the motivations behind the ban. According to TMZ, Natalie Harp, a close Trump aide, reportedly prompted the decision by showing the president clips of TV hosts criticizing him. The report claims Harp focused on negative coverage from MS NOW and other outlets, which allegedly pushed Trump to act. Trump later told journalists that the ban was the result of "cumulative stories over the last few years," though he did not specify particular reports.

The legal battle has also intensified coverage disruptions. Major U.S. TV networks suspended their White House pool duties, leaving a gap in live coverage of Trump’s U.N. General Assembly trip. CNN, which was scheduled to lead the pool, was replaced by Real America’s Voice, a conservative outlet. Five networks issued a joint statement condemning the move, emphasizing the public’s right to independent journalism. "No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting," the statement read.

The lawsuit’s joint statement from the outlets reiterated their stance: "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." The case now faces scrutiny in federal court, with potential implications for future press access disputes.

Timeline of Key Events

• Trump announces ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico on Truth Social – September 18, 2026
• Journalists from the three outlets denied entry to the White House; press badges confiscated – Saturday
• Outlets file federal lawsuit alleging First Amendment and Due Process violations – September 20, 2026
• White House removes CNN from pool rotation for U.N. General Assembly trip – September 20, 2026
• Trump defends ban on Truth Social, accusing media of "fake news" and threatening other outlets – September 21, 2026