CNN, MS NOW and Politico have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to restore their White House press access after journalists from the three outlets were barred from the premises over the weekend, CNN reported yesterday.

The outlets filed the lawsuit on Monday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that the White House’s decision to revoke their journalists’ credentials was an unconstitutional restriction on press freedom. Hearings in the case could begin as early as this week.

In a joint statement, the three organisations said the White House had revoked their journalists’ access without notice or due process because it objected to their reporting. They argued that allowing the decision to stand would threaten press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism without government interference.

The lawsuit described the move as a direct assault on the First Amendment and asked the court to intervene immediately and restore the journalists’ access.