The Trump administration is set to defend its decision to bar three major news organisations CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House in a federal court hearing on Wednesday.
The administration argues that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right and says the president has the authority to determine which organisations receive access. It also claims that reporting by the three outlets has raised national security concerns and violated standards of professionalism and journalistic conduct.
The three news organisations have challenged the ban in court, arguing that they were targeted because of the content of their reporting. They say the decision violates their First Amendment rights to freedom of the press and their right to due process.
The dispute comes amid a broader and increasingly contentious relationship between Trump and several major US news organisations. The court hearing will consider whether the White House can legally exclude the outlets from its grounds and whether their press credentials should be restored.