Three major outlets sue Trump over White House press ban

CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO announced Monday they are suing the Trump administration after the White House revoked their journalists’ credentials without notice, citing objections to their reporting. The outlets said they notified the government they were filing the case to defend First Amendment rights and the principle that government does not decide what the press publishes.

The ban, announced by President Trump on Friday via Truth Social and confirmed in Oval Office remarks, took effect over the weekend. Reporters arriving Saturday found their badges deactivated and confiscated by Secret Service. Trump described the decision as a response to “cumulative stories over the last few years” and “purposely negative” coverage he labelled fake news. He indicated access could return if the outlets “get better.” Legal experts have called the move viewpoint discrimination likely to face a strong court challenge.

This is not an isolated clash. In his first term the White House revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s hard pass after a contentious press conference; a federal judge ordered it restored. The administration has also restricted Associated Press access in the second term over style-guide disagreements. Trump has used the phrase “fake news” nearly 1,500 times and called the media the “enemy of the people” in dozens of posts across more than a decade of daily social-media attacks on the press. New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger has described him as more hostile to the press than any modern president.

Public insults have been frequent and personal. Trump told Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey “Quiet, piggy” on Air Force One, called New York Times reporter Katie Rogers “ugly, both inside and out,” described CNN’s Kaitlan Collins as “the worst reporter” who “never smiles,” labelled ABC’s Rachel Scott “obnoxious” and “a terrible reporter,” and accused New York Times coverage of being “treasonous.” Similar language has been directed at male reporters, including descriptions of their work as illegal or a disgrace. These exchanges have occurred in the Oval Office, on Air Force One, at public events, and on Truth Social.

At the same time, a group of wealthy media and technology owners has drawn closer to the administration. Elon Musk, owner of X, has become a prominent political spender and ally. Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, attended the 2025 inauguration, later told Trump the paper was one of his worst investments, and shifted its opinion section toward “personal liberties and free markets.” Larry Ellison and his son David have gained influence over Paramount and CBS News, with Ellison also linked to potential TikTok investment. Mark Zuckerberg and other tech executives appeared at the inauguration as Meta adjusted content policies. Rupert Murdoch’s Fox and News Corp relationship has been more mixed, including a Trump lawsuit followed by a White House dinner. These alignments have coincided with platform changes, editorial-page shifts, and new conservative appointments at established outlets.

The lawsuit now tests whether White House access can be conditioned on the tone of coverage. Courts previously rejected similar restrictions; the current case asks a federal judge in Washington to restore credentials immediately while the broader First Amendment claims proceed.

Caption: US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he tours a new helipad on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 19 August 2026. EPA/AL DRAGO / POOL