Three major news organizations in the United States, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have launched legal action against the President Donald Trump’s administration following the sudden revocation of their White House press credentials.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, seeks the immediate restoration of press access alongside robust protection for constitutional rights.
Trouble escalated on Friday when President Donald Trump barred the outlets after accusing them of publishing “FICTION and LIES” about his administration and the country.
Enforcing the directive by Saturday, White House security turned away reporters from all three organizations and confiscated their official press passes.
The joint lawsuit asserts that executive officials cannot selectively control news coverage or penalize outlets for critical reporting.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, the organizations declared, “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.”
They further noted that their credentials were canceled without prior notice or due process solely because the administration objected to their coverage.
Warning of a dangerous precedent, the plaintiffs added, “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
With emergency court proceedings expected to begin as early as this week, the media groups are asking the federal judge to swiftly reinstate their journalists’ access.
