Major US television networks on Monday suspended their joint coverage of President Donald Trump after the White House barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from its premises. ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CNN halted the White House television pool in a show of solidarity with CNN. The decision came as the three banned outlets filed a lawsuit challenging the administration’s action.

CNN was scheduled to handle the White House TV pool on Monday. Under the system, one broadcaster records presidential events and shares the footage with other television networks. The networks said they would not appoint a replacement crew after CNN lost access. The move also affected coverage of Trump’s trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where he was scheduled to meet several foreign leaders.

“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting,” ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said in a joint statement.

The lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW and Politico seeks the immediate reversal of the White House ban. The outlets argue that the decision violates the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and the press. They also said the White House revoked their journalists’ credentials without notice or due process.

“This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles,” the organisations said in a court filing.

Trump defended the ban and rejected accusations that his administration was targeting press freedom. He described the affected media outlets as “fake news” and accused them of damaging national security.

“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

“It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America.”

Vice President JD Vance also defended the decision. A former CNN commentator, Vance accused the outlets of spreading what he called “left-wing propaganda.”

“They can still report. They still have access to free speech. They're just not going to get an office in the White House anymore,” he told reporters.

Trump announced the ban on Friday without providing specific examples of reports that led to the decision. Asked by an AFP reporter about the move, he said it was “really just cumulative stories over the last two years.”

“They want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration,” Trump added.

Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday. Their press passes were also confiscated. The three organisations said the administration took the action in response to their reporting.

“Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference,” they said in their joint statement.

Trump has also warned that other media organisations could face similar restrictions. He has repeatedly criticised outlets that publish coverage he considers unfavourable. The latest dispute has now moved to federal court, while the suspension of the television pool has disrupted the regular system used to provide video coverage of the president.