Live video out of the White House might be difficult to see as the television pool that covers President Donald Trump at the White House on a rotating basis will stop covering those events. CNBC reported the move is because of the White House’s ban of CNN from acting as a member of that pool.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico are suing the Trump administration after the White House denied access to their journalists and had their press credentials confiscated.
The three news organizations announced the lawsuit in a joint statement Monday, arguing the White House restrictions violate the First Amendment. The White House turned away reporters and photojournalists from the outlets over the weekend after President Donald Trump barred the organizations from the grounds.
The outlets said the government should not be able to restrict press access based on what news organizations report or publish. They said the lawsuit is intended to defend their journalists’ constitutional rights and the broader role of an independent press.
Trump took to social media Monday morning following the announcement stating, “The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press.”
The president said the ban is instead “an assault on the FAKE NEWS.”
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Journalists denied White House access
The White House denied journalists from all three organizations access on Saturday.
In a statement, MS NOW said its journalists had been denied access to White House grounds and vowed to challenge the move.
.@msnownews statement on its journalists being denied access to the White House grounds: pic.twitter.com/Svw77LD4kQ
— MS NOW Public Relations (@MSNOWComms) September 19, 2026
“The White House belongs to the American people, and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars,” the network said. “MS NOW intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy.”
The network said it stood behind its journalists and would continue covering the president, his administration and issues affecting the public.
On Saturday, CNN said it will continue to report on the U.S. government, “regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings.”
Trump announced the ban Friday in a Truth Social post. He accused the outlets of constantly “‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” He did not cite specific examples of coverage he considered false.
Trump also threatened to target additional news organizations, writing that other outlets would follow.
CNN called the move an “illegal assault” on the First Amendment. It said the government has no right to prevent its journalists from reporting on the administration. The network said it stood behind its White House team and its reporting.
After Trump announced the ban, Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told Straight Arrow that the White House must comply with the First Amendment.
“The public deserves to hear about its government from independent voices, not just its leader’s loyalists and allies,” Terr said.
Past White House battles with the press
In 2025, the White House restricted access for Associated Press reporters after the news organization declined to adopt Trump’s preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico. The AP sued, arguing the restrictions violated its First Amendment rights. A federal judge ruled the government could not deny access based on viewpoint. However, an appeals court later paused most of that order while the case continued.
The administration also faced legal challenges over restrictions on press access to the Pentagon. In March, a federal judge blocked enforcement of the Defense Department’s policy requiring credentialed reporters to agree not to gather or report information that had not been formally authorized for release.
Poll shows support for freedom of the press
The latest White House action comes as Americans broadly support press freedom but differ on its limits. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in June found 73% of U.S. adults consider press freedom extremely or very important to society. At the same time, 53% said preventing inaccurate reporting is more important than protecting press freedom when the two conflict.
The survey also found 44% of Americans believe the press has become less free during Trump’s second administration, compared with 12% who said it has become more free.
