US TV networks refuse White House pool duties after Trump bans CNN, MS Now, Politico

CNN, MS Now and Politico said on Monday they are suing President Donald Trump and other members of his administration to protect their rights under the US Constitution’s First Amendment after he banned the news outlets from the White House building grounds.

The three news organisations said they have 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.