US media outlets to sue Trump administration after White House ban

MS NOW , CNN and Politico said on Monday they were suing the Trump Administration to protect their First Amendment rights after President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would ban the news outlets from the White House’s building grounds. The three news organisations said they had notified the government that they were filing their lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and could see emergency hearings in the case as soon as this week. “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,” they wrote in a joint statement.

The lawsuit aims “to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” they added. Representatives for the White House did not respond to a request for comment. Trump defended the ban in another social media post on Monday after the lawsuit was announced, calling the news media a security threat, without providing any evidence. “The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS,” he wrote. “It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW! ” Meanwhile, leading US broadcasters suspended TV “pool” coverage of Trump in solidarity with CNN . “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” ABC , CBS , CNN , Fox and NBC said in…