Three major news organizations—CNN, POLITICO, and MS NOW—filed an amended lawsuit on October 28 alleging that the White House has continued to block their journalists from presidential events and Air Force One, despite a federal court’s orders restoring their press credentials.
The amended complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, states that the outlets have been excluded from scheduled press pool assignments since September 18, when President Donald Trump announced a ban on their participation. The lawsuit follows two prior court rulings: a September 24 order restoring media credentials and a October 13 preliminary injunction requiring the White House to allow their journalists access.
CNN reported being denied access to Air Force One on all six occasions it was assigned as the designated television press pool representative, including trips on September 21, September 26, October 1, October 16, October 21, and October 26. POLITICO was excluded from print pool assignments for trips to Nebraska on October 5 and Mississippi on October 26, while MS NOW has received no secondary television pool assignments since the ban, despite previously serving in that role every two to three weeks.
The White House responded in a statement to The Epoch Times, asserting that no journalist has a constitutional right to access the Oval Office, Air Force One, or other sensitive facilities. The statement added: “When publications lie, fabricate, and ignore the truth, proximity matters less and they can write their fiction from outside of these secure facilities.”
The amended lawsuit, led by attorney Ted Boutrous Jr., argues that the exclusions violate the First Amendment and due process, stating that the White House’s actions are intended to punish and chill unfavorable coverage. Boutrous said in a statement: “Despite two court orders restraining it from implementing the President's unconstitutional ban on CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO, the White House has continued to violate the First Amendment and due process by excluding those news organizations from areas such as the Oval Office and Air Force One—the very locations that the President most frequently engages with the press.”
The press pool system allows a rotating group of journalists to share information and images with other media outlets, ensuring broader coverage of presidential activities. The lawsuit frames the dispute as a legal test of whether a president can restrict access to specific outlets based on perceived bias, setting the stage for a potential court battle over press freedoms and executive authority.