Thursday, September 24, 2026 - The US Justice Department has defended President Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, arguing that access to restricted presidential areas is a privilege rather than a constitutional right.
The department made its arguments in a court filing ahead of
a Wednesday, September 23, hearing in Washington, where the three media
organisations are seeking an immediate restoration of their White House access
while their lawsuit proceeds. Trump announced the ban last Friday, accusing the
outlets of repeatedly publishing what he described as “fake news” and saying
they would no longer be permitted access to the White House.
The decision was implemented the following day, when
journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied entry to White House
grounds and their credentials were deactivated. The three organisations
subsequently sued the Trump administration, arguing that the ban violates
protections for freedom of speech and the press under the First Amendment.
They are seeking a temporary restraining order that would
allow their journalists to return to the White House while the broader legal
challenge is considered. “This ban could not be a more direct assault on the
First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental
constitutional principles,” the outlets argued in their filing.
The Justice Department disputes that position, maintaining
that the president has authority over journalists’ access to restricted areas
of the White House, including spaces such as the Oval Office. “Access to the
White House is a privilege — not a right,” the department said in its filing.
According to the government, the White House sent letters to
the three organisations explaining the reasons for their exclusion and
identifying reporting it alleged had “threatened national security and spread
falsehoods.” CNN said the allegations against it included reporting about
Trump’s plans to construct a bunker beneath the East Wing ballroom and coverage
of the Iran war.
The news organisations dispute the administration’s
characterisation of their reporting. CNN has said it stands behind its White
House journalists and their coverage. Trump initially announced the ban on
Truth Social, saying media organisations should not be permitted to repeatedly
publish what he considers false information while covering the president.
The three outlets argue that the administration is
retaliating against them because of their reporting and that allowing the ban
to stand could permit the government to determine which news organisations
receive access based on their coverage. The dispute has also affected pooled
coverage of the president.
Major US television networks suspended their participation
in the White House television press pool after CNN was prevented from carrying
out a scheduled pool assignment. The pool normally allows a rotating group of
journalists to provide coverage that is shared with other news organisations.
Despite being barred from the White House, journalists from
the affected organisations continued covering Trump during his visit to the
United Nations General Assembly in New York using UN-issued credentials. Trump
questioned CNN’s presence while speaking to reporters at the UN on Tuesday,
September 22, telling the network’s journalists: “I’m surprised that CNN is
here covering me, you shouldn’t be here.”
The case is being heard by US District Judge Timothy Kelly,
who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump during his first term. The
court is expected to consider whether to temporarily restore the outlets’ White
House access while their lawsuit challenging the ban continues.
The administration maintains that the restrictions are
within the president’s authority, while CNN, MS NOW and Politico contend that
excluding them because of their journalism amounts to unconstitutional
viewpoint discrimination. No final determination has yet been made on the
merits of those competing claims.
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