Trump administration defends White House press ban in court

A federal judge will hear arguments Wednesday on whether President Donald Trump's ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House grounds violates the Constitution, with the administration defending the move as a privilege, not a right. The administration argues the ban is justified by national security threats and violations of professional standards, citing specific reporting incidents, while the outlets claim they were singled out for viewpoint discrimination in a "blatant violation" of the First Amendment. The dispute has sparked solidarity actions, including a suspension of coverage by the network press pool and photo boycotts, and is part of Trump's broader conflict with unfavorable media in his second term.