Six citizens sue Trump over White House media bans

Six citizens have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and three senior aides, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, in a federal district court in New York. The suit was filed on Monday.

The plaintiffs argue that media bans do not only violate the rights of news organizations but also infringe on the public's right to independent reporting about the president and government. They describe the ultimate injury as harm to the democratic public.

“The White House cannot decide what information Americans receive by punishing critical reporting.”

The case was brought by the Knight First Amendment Institute and the Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School. Deputy litigation director Katie Fallow stated that the White House cannot decide what information Americans receive by punishing critical reporting.

Fallow added that expelling reporters because of their coverage causes the public to lose access to independent reporting and receive something closer to government propaganda.

The six plaintiffs rely on White House news for their work in teaching, journalism, or advocacy. They include a human rights advocate, a political journalist, a Yale history professor, a high school civics teacher, a legal journalist, and a student journalist at the University of Pennsylvania.

The complaint notes that other news organizations, including CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, are already battling the administration in court after their journalists were banished from the White House in September.