CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump on Monday after their journalists were expelled from the White House and their press credentials were deactivated, a decision that the three outlets consider a violation of the First Amendment.
The lawsuit, confirmed by AP, which had access to the court document, argues that the three media outlets were excluded due to the content of their coverage and describes the action as a “flagrant violation” of their constitutional rights.
"This morning we informed the Government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our rights under the First Amendment and defend the principle that the Government does not determine what the press reports or publishes," stated CNN, MS NOW, and Politico in a joint statement.
The organizations stated that the White House revoked the credentials of their journalists "without notice or due process" because it objected to their coverage, and warned that, if the action goes unanswered, it could impact press freedom and the public's right to receive independent information.
The conflict began on Friday, when Trump announced that he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, accusing them of spreading what he referred to as "fake news" and warning that other media outlets could face the same fate.
The decision was made effective on Saturday. Betsy Klein, correspondent for CNN; Akayla Gardner, from MS NOW; and Cheyenne Haslett, from Politico, were denied entry when they attempted to access the White House complex.
His credentials had been deactivated and, in Haslett's case, his pass was also confiscated.
This Monday, CNN was also removed from the roles it had assigned within the group of television networks that share presidential coverage.
The network was supposed to cover Trump's trip to New York, but the group reported that there would be no replacement for that coverage following the White House's decision.
Trump responded this Monday to the criticism through a post on Truth Social, where he stated that he values press freedom but defended measures against the media that he believes are responsible for spreading false information.
"The White House is not conducting an attack against the free press, something I appreciate," wrote the president, before stating that his offensive is aimed at what he called "FAKE NEWS".
The lawsuit argues that the exclusion constitutes a form of discrimination based on viewpoint, claiming that the Government withdrew access to journalists due to the content of their reporting.
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) also called for the immediate restoration of access for the three media outlets.
Its president, Jacqui Heinrich, warned that a criterion used to exclude an organization for its coverage could later be applied against any other media.
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