EXCLUSIVE: Trump Sued Over 'Ban On the Free Press' After CNN, Politico and MS NOW Reporters Are Booted From White House
Donald Trump has been dragged into a new federal court battle after his media ban.
Sept. 21 2026, Published 3:07 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has been dragged into a new federal court battle after CNN, Politico and MS NOW accused his administration of unlawfully banning their reporters from the White House, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to court documents obtained by us, the three news organizations filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., on Monday, September 21, demanding a judge immediately block the ban and restore their journalists' White House press credentials.
Media Giants Sue Over White House Ban
Trump announced the ban on September 18.
The explosive complaint accuses Trump and several senior administration officials of violating the First and Fifth Amendments by allegedly punishing the outlets over coverage the president considered negative.
Trump announced the ban on September 18, declaring that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House "effective immediately" over what he characterized as "FAKE NEWS."
The lawsuit claims the White House quickly acted on Trump's announcement.
CNN reporter Betsy Klein, MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner and Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett allegedly attempted to enter the White House complex the following day but were denied access.
Reporters Have White House Credentials Confiscated
The outlets argue they received no advance notice.
According to the complaint, Secret Service officers informed Klein and Gardner that their hard passes had been deactivated and physically took their credentials. Haslett was similarly refused entry and had her pass confiscated.
The outlets argue they received no advance notice, no formal standards explaining the decision and no opportunity to challenge it before their access was revoked.
The filing also highlights remarks Trump made during an Oval Office appearance roughly an hour after announcing the move.
According to the complaint, Trump himself referred to the controversy as the "ban on the free press."
Trump Points to 'Purposely Negative' Coverage
Trump complained about 'purposely negative' coverage he receives.
When asked why the outlets had been targeted, Trump said there was no single story behind the decision and instead pointed to what he described as “cumulative stories over the last two years.”
He also complained that the organizations wrote "purposely negative" coverage.
The plaintiffs allege those statements demonstrate the ban was retaliation based on the editorial content of their reporting — an allegation the court has not yet ruled on.
The consequences allegedly extended beyond individual reporters.CNN had been scheduled to serve as the network pooler on September 21, but the complaint says White House officials issued guidance at 10:55 p.m. the previous night, removing the network from Monday's schedule.
Outlets Demand White House Access Restored
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The lawsuit contains three constitutional claims.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico contend that being shut out prevents their journalists from observing events firsthand, questioning administration officials and responding to breaking developments from inside the White House.
The lawsuit contains three constitutional claims: violation of due process, First Amendment retaliation and viewpoint discrimination.
The organizations are asking the judge to immediately halt enforcement of the ban and order the administration to restore the press passes and White House access they held before September 18.
