The US Justice Department has defended the Trump administration’s decision to bar CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing false information and reports it says raised national security concerns.
The department made the claims in a court filing ahead of a hearing on Wednesday. There, a federal judge is expected to consider whether to temporarily restore the outlets’ access while their lawsuit proceeds.
President Donald Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing the three organisations of producing what he called “fake news” and threatening similar action against other media outlets. Their reporters were subsequently denied entry to the White House and had their press access revoked.
CNN, Politico and MS NOW responded by filing a lawsuit against the administration. The organisations argue that the decision was retaliation for their reporting and violates their First Amendment rights, as well as due-process protections under the Fifth Amendment.
In its filing, the Justice Department cited several reports that it says contributed to the decision to restrict the outlets’ access. The reports included coverage of construction work at the White House, including a planned ballroom and a security bunker, as well as reporting about an investigation into an internal information leak. The administration argued that White House access is a privilege rather than a guaranteed right for individual news organisations.
Outlets Reject Administration’s Justification
The three outlets have rejected the administration’s justification. In a joint statement announcing their legal action, they said their credentials were revoked without notice or a formal process. Further citing that it is because the White House objected to their reporting.
The dispute has also affected the White House press pool, a rotating arrangement through which news organisations share video and other material from presidential events. Several major television networks suspended their participation in the pool after the ban. Thus preventing the White House from relying on the normal arrangement for shared coverage.
The administration has since launched a 24-hour online stream known as “Trump TV”, featuring clips and recordings of the president’s public appearances.
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