CNN, Politico, and MS NOW sue White House over press pool exclusions

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed an amended complaint on Wednesday against the Trump administration.

The legal update targets specific exclusions from presidential travel and the Oval Office.

These rejections occurred even after a federal judge halted a broader press ban.

The lawsuits cite continued retaliatory and viewpoint-discriminatory deprivation by the White House.

The administration is accused of violating the First and Fifth Amendments.

The dispute centers on the press pool, a long-standing tradition where news outlets rotate coverage duties.

This rotation includes close-quarter assignments on Air Force One and in the Oval Office.

Since President Trump announced the original ban on September 18, CNN has been barred from Air Force One six times.

CNN was the designated television pooler on each of these occasions.

The outlets note that CNN has held this pool role for more than 40 years.

The other major US television networks have supported CNN in this dispute.

Politico was also excluded from two scheduled out-of-town pool assignments in recent weeks. MS NOW has not participated in the secondary television pool since the ban began on September 18. The White House selects the secondary pool spot. The administration appears to be relying on a separate lawsuit involving The Associated Press. The AP sued after Trump blocked its reporters from limited press pool areas. Trump took action against The AP because it did not immediately use his preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico. In June 2025, an appeals court panel partially lifted a stay for The AP. The panel stated the wire was unlikely to succeed on the merits. The ruling said restricted spaces are not First Amendment fora for private speech. The ruling was non-binding and non-precedential, according to Ted Boutrous. Boutrous is outside counsel for the three news outlets. He threatened further legal action last week if the White House continued its exclusions. He asked for confirmation that the administration would abandon its exclusion policy. The administration did not respond to that request. US District Judge Timothy P. Kelly granted a preliminary injunction two weeks ago. Kelly found that the ban likely violated the First Amendment. He also issued a temporary restraining order on Fifth Amendment grounds. The White House complied with the order and reinstated press credentials. The outlets claim the administration has continued to retaliate by disrupting the press pool. The amended complaint asks the court to declare the ban unlawful. It seeks permanent injunctive relief for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The lawsuit states that the Oval Office and Air Force One are primary spaces for news gathering. Of nearly 5,000 questions President Trump has entertained, 97% occurred in the Oval Office or during Air Force One travel. Boutrous said the exclusions continue to violate the First Amendment and due process. He stated the actions are intended to punish and chill coverage the President dislikes. Boutrous said the three outlets will continue to fight to vindicate their rights to report the news.