CNN, MS NOW, Politico to sue Trump administration over White House access

CNN, MS NOW and Politico will sue the Trump administration after being denied access to the White House, the news outlets said in a joint statement on Monday.

President Donald Trump said Friday he was banning the outlets from the presidential mansion as punishment for distributing what he calls "fake news."

"This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes," CNN, MS NOW and Politico said in a joint statement.

The outlets said the White House revoked their journalists' credentials "without notice or process" because it "objected to our reporting."

"Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference," they said.

Trump did not detail what prompted the ban but said "media Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States."

The 80-year-old Republican -- who has long had a fiery relationship with the mainstream media -- warned Friday that other outlets could face a similar fate but did not say which ones.

CNN had been scheduled to serve Monday as the White House TV pool, a rotating assignment in which a broadcaster films on behalf of all television outlets for the day. Updated guidance from the White House late Sunday simply listed a back-up crew.