The U.S. Justice Department has filed documents accusing the three White‑House‑banned outlets—CNN, Politico and MS NOW—of "trafficking in verifiable falsehoods" that "threatened national security".
Last week President Donald Trump barred the outlets from the White House, citing "fake news" and confiscating reporters’ accreditation passes.
In response, the three media houses combined forces to file a lawsuit, arguing the ban violates the First Amendment’s protection of press freedom.
Justice‑Department filings list alleged reporting incidents—stories about White‑House construction, a security bunker, a new ballroom—and assert that "access to the White House is a privilege, not a right".
A District of Columbia judge will decide today whether to issue a temporary easement, pending a full hearing on the matter.
If ordered lifted, reporters could attend the White House’s "Trump TV" livestream and participate in a virtual press conference where avatars of journalists can interact with presidential staff in real time.
Major networks have pulled out of the White‑House‑pool media‑sharing arrangement over the ban, while Trump‑TV streams 24/7 clips of the president to give reporters an alternative source of footage.
