Major news outlets ask US Judge to extend block on White House press ban

Major US news organizations including CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are pushing a federal court to prolong legal safeguards against the Trump administration's press restrictions.

Attorneys representing the prominent media entities formally requested a preliminary injunction from a U.S. district judge in Washington, D.C., aiming to maintain the block on the executive branch's directive.

The underlying legal battle stems from an initial 14-day temporary restraining order issued after the administration revoked hard press credentials and blocked journalists from the White House complex.

The outlets said in their September 21 lawsuit that Trump's bans were unlawful viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment of ⁠the Constitution, which guarantees free speech and free press rights.

The Justice Department said Trump lawfully banned the outlets after determining their coverage threatened national security by revealing classified information.

Trump administration said ⁠in a September 18 social media post that he was banning the outlets for “reporting FAKE NEWS” and that they "shouldn't be able ⁠to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES.”

The U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently clashed with the media in his second term ⁠and personally sued outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and BBC for defamation.

The administration initially defended the move by accusing the outlets and later argued that certain coverage compromised national security.

However, lawyers for the media groups contended that the bans constitute unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, violating due process and First Amendment guarantees of a free press.

The federal judge overseeing the case previously noted that the administration's justification lacked clear standards and appeared disconnected from genuine security concerns.

Both legal teams are set to submit comprehensive filings as the court weighs whether to transition the temporary protection into a longer-lasting preliminary injunction.