EXCLUSIVE: Trump Faces Media Industry Revolt as 50+ Organizations Back CNN, Politico and MS NOW in White House Ban Fight
Donald Trump is facing a major legal fight after CNN, Politico and MS NOW were barred from White House grounds.
Sept. 23 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Donald Trump is facing a united front from some of America’s biggest news organizations as his administration battles CNN, Politico and MS NOW in federal court over their ban from the White House, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
A massive coalition of media organizations filed a friend-of-the-court brief Wednesday, September 23, supporting the three outlets' emergency effort to regain access to the White House.
Media Giants Join the Court Battle
The media coalition urged the federal court to restore CNN, Politico, and MS NOW's access to the White House.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and White House Correspondents' Association are leading the effort alongside dozens of major media organizations.
The coalition includes Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBCUniversal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, USA Today, Bloomberg, Axios, Forbes, NPR, and others.
The filing came as CNN, Politico, and MS NOW sought a temporary restraining order after Trump barred the organizations from White House grounds.
First Amendment Fight Escalates
CNN, Politico and MS NOW argue their White House ban violates First Amendment and due-process protections.
The three outlets have argued the ban violates their First Amendment rights and constitutional due-process protections. Now, the wider media coalition is urging the federal judge overseeing the case to restore their access.
The amici accused the administration of targeting the organizations because of their coverage, writing: "Viewpoint discrimination is poison to a free society."
The line comes from a 2019 Supreme Court concurrence cited by the coalition in arguing that viewpoint discrimination is generally prohibited under First Amendment doctrine.
'Chilling Effect' Warning
The media coalition warned the White House access dispute could have consequences.
The media organizations warned that the dispute could extend far beyond CNN, Politico and MS NOW.
They argued the ban deprives reporters and their audiences of timely information about the presidency and could create a "chilling effect" on other news organizations.
The brief also points to decades of litigation over White House press access, arguing that government officials cannot restrict access to a nonpublic forum based on a journalist's viewpoint. The intervention comes after Trump's Justice Department urged the court to reject the outlets' emergency request
Trump Administration Defends Ban
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The Trump administration has defended its decision to revoke the outlets.
In its response filed Tuesday, September 22, the administration defended Trump's authority to restrict access to sensitive areas of the White House and cited national-security concerns in arguing the outlets' credentials were properly revoked.
The dispute erupted after Trump publicly criticized CNN, Politico and MS NOW over coverage he considered negative. Reporters from the organizations subsequently lost access to White House grounds, prompting them to sue.
The new media brief directly challenges the administration's position, arguing that even where journalists do not possess an unrestricted right to government access, officials cannot withhold a government benefit because someone exercised constitutionally protected speech rights.
The coalition is asking the court to grant the outlets' temporary restraining order, saying emergency relief is necessary to prevent continuing harm while the larger constitutional battle proceeds.
