CNN, MS NOW and Politico Seek Court Order to Restore White House Access

Three news organisations — CNN, MS NOW and Politico — will ask a federal judge on Wednesday to immediately restore their access to the White House, after President Donald Trump barred them from the premises in one of his most dramatic confrontations with the press to date.

The ban, announced by Trump on Friday on his Truth Social platform, prompted the outlets to file suit on Monday. They argue the move amounts to an illegal attack on their free speech rights under the US Constitution and violates their right to due process. In their complaint, the organisations described the ban as a direct assault on the First Amendment and a blatant breach of fundamental constitutional principles.

Trump, in announcing the ban, said the three organisations "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States." He has accused the media of trying to damage Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections, as his declining popularity threatens the party's hold on both chambers of Congress.

In a legal filing on the eve of the hearing, the administration contended that White House access is a privilege rather than an entitlement, and that the president therefore has the authority to suspend the organisations' access.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, will consider the request to reinstate the outlets' access while the litigation unfolds at a 3:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) hearing in Washington.

Free speech experts have said the ban rests on shaky legal ground, noting that US courts have long held the government cannot condition press access on favourable coverage once it has opened a space to the media. In a 2018 case raising similar issues, Kelly ordered the White House to restore CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass after it was revoked following a contentious news conference with Trump. The judge found the White House had not used fair and clear procedures, describing the process as "shrouded in mystery."

In a social media post on Monday afternoon, Trump expressed regret over appointing Kelly to the bench in 2017, during his first term, and said he was bracing for a loss.

In a show of solidarity, major US television networks on Monday suspended their pooled coverage of Trump's movements, disrupting a decades-old arrangement that allows Americans to follow the president's public appearances on television. With the press pool absent, Trump's remarks were inaudible during the White House's live stream of a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new helipad.

While past presidents have clashed with the press, Trump's campaign against the media has been unprecedented. He has upended decades of tradition by denying basic access to many major news organisations, launching personal attacks on journalists over their reporting, and elevating outlets seen as more sympathetic to his administration. He has also filed lawsuits against multiple news outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the BBC.