Major news outlets banned by Trump will have their day in court

MS NOW White House reporter Akayla Gardner reported on Saturday near the White House complex after being denied entry following President Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana/FR159526 AP hide caption

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Reporters try to hold President Trump — like any president — and his administration accountable.

Now three major U.S. news outlets are asking a federal judge — a Trump appointee at that — to hold the president in check for what they say is an egregious violation of their First Amendment rights simply because he doesn't like how they cover him.

The Justice Department intends to argue that the three media outlets are "trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information," according to a submission to the court late Tuesday.

CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and Politico sued President Trump after he made good on his threat to bar them from covering official events. Trump told White House reporters on Friday that he was fed up after what he called two years of unfair and negative coverage.

"There's something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposefully negative things," Trump told reporters Friday. "Now, if they want to write them, that's fine, but I don't have to let them into my — into the people's house."

The news outlets accuse Trump of violating not only their right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment, but also to due process under the Fifth. They are asking the court to restore their access to the White House.