White House defends Trump’s media ban

White House officials said in a court filing Tuesday that US President Donald Trump found CNN, MS NOW and Politico had violated the administration's standards of conduct, prompting their removal from the premises.

According to The New York Times, the alleged violations include "trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information."

"Access to the White House is a privilege — not a right," the filing reads, arguing that Trump's decision does not violate the First Amendment and is consistent with a long history of presidents giving some journalists preferential access.

The filing also says the decision is preliminary, giving the three outlets until Friday to challenge it.

The dispute began last Friday, when Trump announced on Truth Social, the platform he owns, that he would ban the outlets, arguing they "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES."

On Saturday morning, reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied entry to the White House grounds, and their press passes were confiscated.

By Monday, the news organizations had filed a lawsuit, arguing that the ban "brazenly discriminates based on editorial viewpoint" and violates their First Amendment rights.

They also said the decision came without warning, depriving them of the notice they believed such a serious action required. According to the complaint, they "received zero advance notice that the president would ban a news organization from the White House if he dislikes its coverage."