Three news outlets banned from the White House have sued the Trump administration Monday, claiming their exclusion from the White House violates their rights to free speech and due process

President Donald Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House. He accused the outlets of “reporting fake news,” writing: “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.”

On Monday, the news organizations filed suit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs, which include three individual reporters in addition to the outlets, allege two First Amendment violations: retaliation for protected reporting and discrimination based on editorial viewpoints. They also assert a Fifth Amendment due process claim, saying officials provided neither advance notice nor an opportunity to contest the loss of credentials.

According to the complaint, following Trump’s announcement of the ban Friday, Secret Service officers denied the three reporters entry Saturday and confiscated their credentials. The restrictions extend across the White House complex, affecting access to briefings, workspaces, and officials as well as the press pool, the rotating group of journalists who share coverage of events where space is limited.

Defending the decision Friday, Trump accused the outlets of dishonest reporting and said the ban reflected “cumulative stories over the last two years.” He denied trying to intimidate journalists. The plaintiffs argue that his explanations establish that the restrictions targeted coverage he disliked, rather than misconduct warranting exclusion.

The dispute follows other administration efforts to challenge unfavorable coverage. The official White House website maintains a “Media Offenders” section featuring an “Offender Hall of Shame,” a leaderboard, and a form inviting readers to report alleged media bias. Entries identify outlets and individual journalists and present the administration’s rebuttals to reporting it considers false or misleading.

Trump has also pursued litigation over news coverage. In December 2024, ABC News settled his defamation lawsuit concerning George Stephanopoulos’ statements about the E. Jean Carroll litigation. ABC agreed to contribute $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library and pay $1 million in legal fees, and published an expression of regret. The settlement resolved the dispute without a trial determining defamation liability.

Monday’s complaint also invokes earlier disputes over White House credentials, including the 2018 revocation of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s pass, which was restored following court intervention. The plaintiffs argue that excluding their journalists causes immediate harm because missed opportunities to witness events and question officials cannot be recovered later. They seek temporary, preliminary and permanent relief against enforcement of the ban.