CNN, MSNBC, and Politico have sued the Trump administration over their exclusion from White House press access, alleging that the ban violates First Amendment press protections and the Constitution’s Due Process Clause.
The dispute escalated at the United Nations on September 22, when President Donald Trump confronted CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins after she asked about when the U.S. war with Iran would end, telling her, “You should not be here covering me.”
The outlets are seeking the restoration of their White House access, while the administration argues that press credentials, briefing-room seats, and press-pool positions are not guaranteed by the First Amendment.
The case is being heard in federal court, with a hearing on the outlets’ request for an injunction scheduled for Wednesday.
The dispute has also disrupted the White House television press pool, after ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, and NBC News suspended pool coverage because CNN was prevented from serving as the scheduled pool network.
