Three major media outlets are set to sue President Donald Trump after the administration barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House in an announcement last week.
The lawsuit is being filed against the Trump administration as the media ban goes against the United States First Amendment which protects free speech and press freedom.
A federal judge in the D.C. District Court is set to review the emergency request this week, which could trigger immediate legal arguments from the administration.
Three media outlets have issued a joint statement, “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.”
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” the news outlets said.
“Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
The legal battle comes after the Trump administration banned these outlets from accessing their workspaces, equipment and camera locations inside the White House.
Reporters’ press passes were deactivated and seized by the Secret Service on Saturday, CNN was removed from pooled coverage responsibilities, and Trump indicated he may add more outlets to the ban.
President Trump explicitly stated the ban is due to his dislike of “negative stories” written by these outlets. In Truth Social Post, Trump accused the outlets of reporting FAKE NEWS while adding that these outlets “should not be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they are covering the President of the United States.”
Trump’s media restriction also drew backlash from Freedom of the Press Foundation who called the act illegal and “flatly unconstitutional” while jeopardizing the freedom of press.
Legal experts and First Amendment attorneys argue the ban constitutes viewpoint discrimination, which is strictly forbidden by the courts.
Speaking about precedents, courts have overturned similar attempts by the administration to block media outlets or individual journalists.
