WASHINGTON, United States — CNN, MS NOW, and Politico sued President Donald Trump on Monday, September 21, 2026, after his administration barred their journalists from the White House, prompting five major television networks to suspend their shared coverage of presidential activities.
The three organisations are seeking an emergency federal court order restoring their journalists’ access.
Their lawsuit alleges that the administration violated constitutional protections for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and due process by withdrawing press credentials in response to their reporting.
The legal action followed Trump’s decision on Friday to exclude the organisations from the White House, accusing them of publishing false and unfavourable reports.
Major Networks Refuse to Replace CNN
The dispute disrupted presidential television coverage on Monday after the White House removed CNN from its scheduled assignment to provide footage of Trump’s activities, including his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Under the established White House television pool arrangement, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News take turns providing footage for distribution to other news organisations when access to presidential events is limited.
The remaining networks declined to replace CNN, leaving the pool without a primary television crew for presidential events.
In a joint statement, the five networks said the government should not restrict a news organisation because it objected to its reporting.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.” — White House television pool members: ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media, NBC…
— NBC News PR (@NBCNewsPR) September 21, 2026
Their decision suspended the shared television coverage ordinarily provided by the pool but did not prevent individual networks from continuing their reporting on the administration.
Journalists Challenge Revocation of Credentials
The restrictions took effect after Trump announced the ban on Truth Social on Friday, citing his objections to the three organisations’ coverage.
On Saturday, Secret Service personnel denied entry to CNN correspondent Betsy Klein, MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner, and Politico correspondent Cheyenne Haslett when they attempted to enter the White House complex.
Their press passes were confiscated.
The ban also prevented the organisations from accessing their designated White House workspaces, while CNN and MS NOW were denied use of their television equipment and camera positions on the grounds.
In a joint statement published on X, the organisations accused the administration of withdrawing their credentials without providing an opportunity to challenge the decision.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” they said.
— POLITICO Press (@POLITICOPress) September 21, 2026
Trump defended his decision on Monday, describing the restrictions as an action against what he called “FAKE NEWS” rather than an attack on press freedom.
He also alleged that the organisations’ reporting posed a national security threat.
Federal Court to Consider Emergency Request
The 27-page lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, names the three news organisations and their affected White House correspondents as plaintiffs.
Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Communications Director Steven Cheung, and Secret Service Director Sean Curran are named as defendants.
The plaintiffs argue that the administration withdrew their credentials because of the content of their reporting, violating the First Amendment.
They also allege that the lack of notice and an opportunity to contest the decision violated their constitutional due process rights.
The organisations are seeking a temporary restraining order to restore access while the case proceeds.
The case has been assigned to Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee who previously ordered the restoration of former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House credentials during a dispute with the administration in 2018.
The organisations are represented by First Amendment lawyer Ted Boutrous, who also represented CNN in the Acosta case.
The plaintiffs have cited previous federal court decisions protecting journalists against exclusion from the White House on the basis of their reporting.
The court could consider the emergency application during the week.
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have said they will continue covering the Trump administration while pursuing their legal challenge.
