The DOJ defended President Trump's ban on CNN, MS Now and Politico, arguing their reporting threatened national security and urging a court to deny the outlets' lawsuit.
The Department of Justice filed a response defending President Trump’s recent revocation of White House press credentials for CNN, MS Now and Politico. In letters dated Sept. 22, the DOJ accused the three outlets of "trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information," and said the ban was due to a failure to maintain basic standards of professionalism and decorum.
The DOJ asked the federal court in Washington, D.C., to deny the lawsuit filed by the three media organizations, which alleges violations of their First Amendment right to press freedom and Fifth Amendment right to due process. The lawsuit seeks restoration of the outlets’ access to the White House.
The filing was submitted hours before an emergency court session scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, a proceeding that will further test First Amendment protections under the Trump administration. Trump told reporters the ban was not triggered by any single report but by an accumulation of what he described as two years of unfair and negative coverage.
The case’s outcome remains uncertain, as the court has not yet ruled on the DOJ’s request or the media organizations’ constitutional claims.