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

MUMBAI: The White House press pass has become a legal flashpoint, with CNN, Politico and MS NOW taking the Trump administration to court over the exclusion of their journalists. The three news organisations have filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to restore their reporters’ access to the White House and challenge the administration’s decision to withdraw their credentials. Reuters reported that the organisations are seeking emergency relief, with a hearing potentially taking place this week.

The case follows President Donald Trump’s 18 September announcement that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. Trump accused the organisations of what he called “FAKE NEWS” reporting. The restrictions were enforced on 19 September, when reporters from the three outlets were turned away and their press credentials were deactivated or confiscated.

The affected journalists include CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein, MS NOW White House correspondent Akayla Gardner and Politico White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett. Their organisations have argued that the government should not be able to withdraw press access because it objects to their reporting.

The lawsuit names Trump, White House communications assistant Steven Cheung, Chief of Staff Susan Wiles and Secret Service Director Sean Curran as defendants. The immediate legal battle centres on whether the administration can revoke existing White House press credentials and restrict access based on disagreements with coverage.

The dispute has also spilled into presidential travel. CNN was removed from the television network rotation for the White House travel pool on Sunday, meaning it was excluded from the group scheduled to accompany Trump to New York for the UN General Assembly.

The latest lawsuit adds another chapter to the administration’s broader battle with news organisations over access. A separate case involving the Associated Press is already before the same federal court.

That dispute began in February 2025, when AP journalists were excluded from certain restricted areas, including the Oval Office and Air Force One, after the news agency declined to adopt Trump’s preferred name “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico.

In April 2025, US District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that the restrictions violated the First Amendment, finding that the government could not selectively restrict journalists’ access based on their viewpoints after opening access to other members of the press. The administration appealed, and a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 in June 2025 to suspend McFadden’s ruling while the appeal proceeded.

The current case brings that broader question back into focus, but with three major news organisations challenging a direct White House exclusion.

The White House Correspondents’ Association has also objected to the restrictions. Its president, Jacqui Heinrich, said the implications extend beyond the three organisations because a standard used to exclude one outlet could potentially be applied to others.

The three organisations had indicated before filing the lawsuit that they intended to defend their First Amendment rights. CNN said it would continue holding the government accountable, while Politico and MS NOW similarly pledged to challenge the restrictions.

For now, the courtroom has become the next press room in the dispute. The lawsuit will test the administration’s authority over White House media access against constitutional arguments surrounding press freedom and viewpoint-based restrictions.