WASHINGTON – Forty-nine media organizations submitted an amicus brief supporting CNN, MS NOW and Politico in their lawsuit against President Donald Trump, arguing his White House ban on the three outlets is designed to have a "chilling effect" on future coverage.
The brief's Sept. 23 filing comes hours before a federal judge is set to hold a hearing in the case, in which the three plaintiffs have asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction to allow their reporters to regain access to the White House.
"Stripping journalists and news outlets of their rights because of perceived editorial viewpoint violates decades of Supreme Court jurisprudence and is impermissible in any type of forum, including the White House," the amicus brief reads.
Trump faces same judge in White House ban who sided with CNN in 2018
The brief, also signed by the White House Correspondents' Association, argues Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico is meant to create a "chilling effect, with the hope that it discourages other outlets from publishing stories that they fear might provoke similar sanctions."
Media outlets backing the lawsuit include USA TODAY, Axios, the Associated Press, Reuters, the New York Times and Dow Jones and Company, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, among dozens of others.
By signing on to an amicus brief, the 49 media outlets do not become a party in the case but instead documented their strong interest in the case's outcome.
The banned outlets' lawsuit argues Trump's media ban denied CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters their First Amendment rights to a free press under the Constitution and their right to due process under the 14th Amendment.
The amicus brief echoes a key argument made in the plaintiffs lawsuit ‒ that because the White House maintains facilities that are open to the press, it can't arbitrarily deny certain outlets access coverage based on the content of coverage.
In the government's response to the lawsuit, Justice Department attorneys contend that the three media outlets Trump barred from the White House fail to meet basic "journalistic standards" and pose national security threats because of their reporting of classified and sensitive information.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 49 media outlets sign brief supporting lawsuit against Trump over ban
