Washington DC - A day ahead of a court hearing, the Department of Justice on Tuesday said President Donald Trump is within his rights to ban CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO from the White House.

The DOJ said in a court filing, issued only a day before CNN, POLITICO, and MS NOW' lawsuit will see its first court hearing, that Trump can "control reporters' access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office."

"Access to the White House is a privilege – not a right," the DOJ filing argued. The court filing said that letters explaining the president's reasons for the ban had been sent to the outlets on Tuesday. They have until Friday to object.

The letters cite numerous "reporting incidents" by the outlets that "threatened national security and spread falsehoods," according to the filing.

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The letter to CNN cited a story on Trump's plans to build a bunker below the East Wing ballroom he is constructing, which "disclosed 'top-secret' construction details," and several stories about the Iran war, the network said.

Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO were denied any access to the White House grounds on Sunday and had their passes confiscated.

In their lawsuit, the three outlets asked for a temporary restraining order against the ban on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which upholds the right to a free press.

"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 outlets said in the court filing.

The ban comes at a time when his approval ratings are at record lows, his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress in November's midterm elections, and the war in the Middle East drags on with no end in sight.