Battle between CNN and White House after Acosta refused to give up his microphone
Donald Trump is now preparing to permanently ban CNN reporter Jim Acosta from the White House following a short legal setback, according to CNN’s Brian Stelter.
Acosta was sent a letter from the White House notifying him that his pass admitting ‘temporary access’ would be suspended after the short brief restraining order had been completed.
The letter comes amid the ongoing battle between CNN and the White House after Acosta refused to give up his microphone during a recent press conference.
An injunction was issued by Judge Timothy J. Kelly Friday morning ordering the White House to reinstate Acosta’s credentials, asserting the reporters Fifth Amendment right to due process was violated.
Even though the judge was technically right, he didn’t rule whether the First Amendment right applied to any reporter to be at the White House.
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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders augured the letter in a Friday statement advising Acosta:
“In response to the court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporter’s hard pass. We will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future.
“There must be decorum at the White House.”
Acosta’s press pass was revoked almost two weeks after he was accused of unruly behavior during the press conference where he put his hands on an intern who tried to take the microphone from him.
CNN responded to the letter in a statement:
“The White House is continuing to violate the First and 5th Amendments of the Constitution.
“These actions threaten all journalists and news organizations.
“Jim Acosta and CNN will continue to report the news about the White House and the President.”
According to the DC: CNN’s Brian Stelter speculated in his Sunday evening newsletter that the White House is likely trying to build a paper trail to indicate that due process was given to Acosta, as the rest of the legal battle remains to be fought out in court.
President Donald Trump told The Daily Caller in an exclusive interview Tuesday he was unsure his administration would prevail in the lawsuit but noted “we’ll see how the court rules.
Is it freedom of the press when somebody comes in and starts screaming questions and won’t sit down?”
Trump suggested later in a sit-down Sunday with Fox News that in acknowledgment to the lawsuit “I think one of the things we’ll do is maybe turn the camera off that faces them because then they don’t have any airtime, although I’ll probably be sued for that and maybe, you know, win or lose it, who knows.”