Major media outlets to sue Trump over White House press ban

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have lodged a complaint in a Washington DC court after their staff's access passes were revoked over the weekend.

Their journalists were forced to report from the footpaths outside of The White House.

Donald Trump had announced a ban of press from these outlets on Friday, accusing the organisations of writing "fiction or lies" about the administration. 

In a joint statement on Monday, the media companies said they were pursuing legal action to "defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports".

"President Trump has said in no uncertain terms that he would prefer only to be covered by news organisations and reporters who praise his administration," the complaint says.

“But the Constitution does not allow a president or any other government official to deprive the press of their First Amendment rights … based solely on his dislike of the content of their reporting.

"Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting.

"Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference."

Now, Fox News has joined the media giants in the complaint.

 

 

 

 

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CNN reported that the matter would be heard in a Washington court on Wednesday.

The outlets have asked the court to declare the ban in violation of the US constitution and order its reversal.

The networks later announced they would suspend their White House pooled coverage of Trump, leaving a potential gap as he heads to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the BBC said.

Earlier, in a posting on Truth Social, Trump had said the White House was not "instituting an assault on the Free Press" and that he was targeting "FAKE NEWS".