Two government watchdog organizations filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the White House on Friday, challenging internal guidance that permits the deletion of certain text messages exchanged among officials. The lawsuit contends that this guidance violates federal law, which generally mandates the preservation of presidential records.

The plaintiffs, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, have asked a federal judge to overturn a related Justice Department memo. That memo declared unconstitutional a longstanding federal statute requiring the safeguarding of presidential records, including text messages. The White House’s internal guidance cited this memo as justification for its approach to record retention.

The legal action comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Trump administration’s handling of official documents and record-keeping practices. Critics argue that the administration has repeatedly failed to comply with laws governing the preservation and disclosure of presidential records while pursuing significant changes in government operations and testing the limits of executive authority. Notably, there has been particular concern about the management of text messages exchanged among senior White House officials, which can document critical day-to-day communications.

In their complaint, the watchdog groups assert that the White House’s “deficient instructions” will likely lead to the “irreparable loss or destruction” of presidential records. Lauren Harper, an advocate for government transparency with the Freedom of the Press Foundation, emphasized the importance of these communications, stating that text messages document the activities of “the most powerful office in the country — and arguably the world.”

The White House responded through spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who defended the administration’s practices, stating that it maintains “a rigorous records retention program.” The lawsuit underscores ongoing tensions between transparency advocates and the administration over the preservation of presidential records in digital formats amid evolving communication technologies.