Three media outlets announced Monday they will sue to maintain their ability to enter the White House grounds days after President Donald Trump revoked their access, turning to the courts in their fight over constitutional protections for the press. 

"We are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes," CNN, MS NOW and Politico said in a joint statement. 

 Trump's announcement on Friday that he was banning the outlets has immediate impacts on coverage of the president. CNN was due to be the broadcaster traveling with Trump to New York Monday ahead of the UN General Assembly but has been removed from that roster. It was unclear which news organization, if any, would take its place. 

 The ban marked a significant escalation in the administration's efforts to curb press access to events and spaces that are in the public interest. Federal courts have previously overturned similar moves against reporters who work at the White House campus. The First Amendment of the US Constitution prohibits the government from making laws that abridge freedom of speech and the press.

 "The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish," Trump said on social media Monday, defending his move. "It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America," he added, claiming the coverage is "a threat to our National Security."

 Trump, for years, has dismissed critical coverage of his administration and policies as "fake news."

 The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the threatened lawsuit.

 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, when asked about the ban during a CNBC interview, said he didn't know much about the decision, but went on to criticize the press and its coverage. "We'll see, maybe it's a change in coverage at the White House," he said. 

 The Treasury Department excluded journalists from several outlets, including Bloomberg News, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, from covering the recent Group of 20 finance ministers summit. The Defense Department separately barred mainstream media organizations last year from keeping offices in the Pentagon after they refused to sign onto new limits on their activities. 

 Earlier: US Treasury Bars Reporters From Some Outlets From G20 Summit

 Trump announced in a social media post Friday that he was revoking access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico "effective immediately" due to what he described as unfavorable coverage of his administration. He warned that "other Fake News Media Outlets" could also soon be banned.

 "Media Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America," Trump said in the post. 

 The move comes at a politically challenging time for the president, with his approval ratings at record lows and polls showing broad voter discontent with his economic agenda, in particular over high costs of living and the Iran war. The conflict, now in its seventh month, has spiked global energy prices that are further weighing on US pocketbooks. 

 Last year, the Associated Press sued Trump administration officials when they were excluded by the White House from events, even though its reporters were still allowed to work from the grounds. The case is still being fought in the courts.

--With assistance from Madlin Mekelburg, Catherine Lucey, Michelle Jamrisko and Yash Roy.