CNN, MS NOW and Politico Amend Lawsuit Seeking Full White House Press Pool Access

CNN, MS NOW and Politico amended their lawsuit against President Donald Trump on Wednesday, asking a court to restore their full access to the White House press pools, including in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One. The outlets say Trump banned them from the White House in September. A federal judge later issued an order that restored much of their access. The amended civil complaint says that since the judge ordered the White House to admit journalists from the three outlets, the White House has kept them from performing pool functions they had long carried out. The press pool is a small group of reporters who share information and images they obtain with other outlets, and it is a routine source of public information about what a president does or says. Ted Boutrous Jr., an attorney for the outlets, said the White House has continued to violate the First Amendment and due process despite two court orders restraining it from carrying out the ban. The amended complaint sets up a court fight over whether a president can block individual outlets or reporters from areas that other journalists can enter because of how those outlets cover him.

Newsmax, representing the right, leads with the outlets expanding their suit and accuses the White House of retaliating against their coverage by excluding journalists, framing the story around the retaliation claim. Its excerpt is brief and shows no named sources beyond the outlets. The New York Times, on the left, describes an updated lawsuit and says the outlets argue they should be granted access to the White House reporting pools, focusing on the legal request. Both agree on the three plaintiffs, the Wednesday filing and the White House as defendant. CNBC, listed as alternative, supplies the most detail: the September ban, the judge's order, how pools work and Boutrous's statement.