CNN, MS NOW, Politico sues White House over blocked access
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MS NOW's Akayla Gardner outside the White House after her access was revoked. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Getty Images
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico on Monday filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the White House, arguing the president and the administration violated their rights by blocking their access over the weekend.
Why it matters: Many presidents have had a contentious relationship with certain outlets, but none have gone so far as to unilaterally block them.
Zoom in: The three outlets filed their complaint when the courts opened Monday morning.
- In the complaint, the plaintiffs argue the White House violated their First Amendment rights by blocking them in retaliation for their reporting and discriminating against their viewpoint; and their Fifth Amendment rights for banning them without due process.
- They ask the court to declare the ban unconstitutional, and have asked for an injunction to block the ban's enforcement and restore their access to The White House.
What they're saying: "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," the three news organizations said in a joint statement on Monday.
- "Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting," they said. "Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference."
Zoom out: The lawsuit is a historic show of solidarity amongst the banned outlets, as they and other newsrooms continue to face unprecedented pressure from The Trump administration.
- Figures within the administration have argued the president has the right to ban reporters from certain spaces, but legal experts argue precedent overwhelmingly backs the news outlets.
- "Once a government official has opened up a space to journalists more broadly, then that official can't then say, 'But you can't come in because I don't like your reporting … because of your viewpoint,'" Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, told Axios.
What to watch: The White House on Sunday released its weekly press pool rotation and CNN — which was the network responsible for carrying the video feed for the pool Monday — was not listed.
- That means there will be no video coverage of the president today, and perhaps longer, depending on whether the court grants the plaintiffs in the case an injunction.
- The other four broadcasters that split the video pool duty with CNN — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX — have not yet released a statement about the situation.
This is a breaking news story.
