The U.S. Department of Justice urged a federal court on September 22, 2026, to reject a lawsuit from CNN, MS Now, and Politico, defending the Trump administration’s revocation of their White House press credentials as a lawful control over access to presidential grounds.
The legal clash between the federal government and three major news organizations escalated sharply in late September 2026. Following a lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, September 21, the Department of Justice filed its defense just hours before a scheduled emergency federal court session.
The underlying dispute began when the Trump administration revoked White House press credentials for journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico. In its court filing, government attorneys argued that the White House is the home and workplace for the nation’s commander-in-chief, making physical presence on the grounds a revocable privilege rather than a guaranteed right.
The DOJ’s court submission incorporated White House letters dated September 22, which accused the barred outlets of compromising national security and publishing false information. Specifically, the administration cited reporting on sensitive topics including the construction of the White House East Wing bunker, the depletion of U.S. ammunition stockpiles during the Iran war, the lifting of sanctions against Russia, and a Republican midterm convention in Dallas.
“trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information.”
White House
Government lawyers maintained that the president had concluded the outlets failed to maintain basic standards of professionalism and decorum. Furthermore, the DOJ argued that the restrictions were not retaliatory, asserting that the administration would have taken identical steps regardless of the outlets’ critical coverage, noting that other critical news organizations retained their access.
Media Organizations Cite First and Fifth Amendment Violations
The joint lawsuit brought by CNN, MS Now, and Politico asserts that the sudden credential revocations violate fundamental constitutional protections. The media organizations argue that the federal government cannot penalize news outlets over their reporting or take away privileged access without warning, notice, or an opportunity to appeal.
The publishers stated that left unchallenged, the administration’s actions threaten independent journalism and establish a dangerous precedent where the government decides what the press is permitted to report.
President Trump Defends Actions on Truth Social and in Statements
President Trump publicly defended the decision, framing the restrictions as a necessary response to persistent negative coverage rather than an attack on the free press. In posts on Truth Social and remarks to reporters, he characterized the affected outlets as a threat to national security.
“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America.”
President Donald Trump
The White House established a Friday deadline for the banned media organizations to submit written complaints contesting the decision. Meanwhile, the federal court in Washington, D.C., reviews the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order to restore their access while the litigation proceeds.
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