The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) - the independent, non-profit group that represents journalists who cover the US presidency - called on the administration "to immediately restore" access to the journalists and accused it of violating the First Amendment.

"The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future," said WHCA President Jacqui Heinrich, who works for Fox News.

Heinrich said that the Americans, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinise those elected in their coverage "regardless of whether government officials view it favorably".

"That's why courts have repeatedly held that once the White House provides access to journalists, it cannot deny that access arbitrarily or based on the content of their reporting."

Several groups dedicated to the freedom of the press have called Trump's White House ban illegal and unconstitutional.

A major group that provides legal services to the media - the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - said it expected Trump's ban to be struck down quickly by the courts because it was "flatly unconstitutional".

"The First Amendment is clear that once the White House invites in some journalists, it can't ban others because it doesn't like their reporting," said Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which provides legal services to the media.

It's the latest in a series of moves by the administration to target media outlets Trump says are critical of him, including legal action against US and international outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC.

Some of the lawsuits have resulted in media organisations agreeing to pay multimillion dollar settlements. Trump's lawsuit against the BBC is ongoing.

Additional reporting from Bernd Debusmann Jr and Max Matza.

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