CNN, MS NOW, Politico Sue White House Over Access Denial
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico announced Monday they are suing the Trump administration after being denied White House access. Reporters' credentials were deactivated following President Trump's directive.
Media organizations CNN, MS NOW, and Politico announced Monday they have initiated legal action against President Donald Trump's administration over denied access to the White House. The three outlets released a joint statement detailing the lawsuit.
The reporters' access credentials were deactivated on Saturday, one day after President Trump announced he would bar the outlets due to reporting he deemed "fake news." The White House has not yet commented on the matter.
The move is seen as an escalation of Trump's efforts to restrict critical news coverage. This action represents a significant test of the First Amendment's protection of a free press in the United States.
Among the journalists denied entry and whose credentials were deactivated were CNN's Betsy Klein, MS NOW's Akayla Gardner, and Politico's Cheyenne Haslett. The outlets stated that the White House revoked their credentials without notice or process due to objections to their reporting.
Jacqui Heinrich, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, has called for the immediate restoration of access. She emphasized that barring one news outlet based on its coverage could set a precedent applicable to any outlet in the future, underscoring the public's right to scrutinize those in power through an independent press.