New York – CNN sued the Trump administration Tuesday, demanding that correspondent Jim Acosta’s credentials to cover the White House be returned because it violates the constitutional right of freedom of the press.
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The administration stripped Acosta of his pass to enter the White House following President Donald Trump’s contentious news conference last week, where Acosta refused to give up a microphone when the president said he didn’t want to hear anything more from him.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said “this is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against his lawsuit.”
Trump has made CNN and its reporters a particular target of his denunciation of “fake news” and characterization of the media as an enemy of the people. CNN CEO Jeff Zucker, in a letter to White House chief of staff John Kelly, called it a “pattern of targeted harassment.”
The White House initially contended it was Acosta’s refusal to give up the microphone that led to his banishment; CNN said it’s apparent the president didn’t like his questions.
“Mr. Acosta’s press credentials must be restored so that all members of the press know they will remain free to ask tough questions, challenge government officials and report the business of the nation to the American people,” said Theodore Olson, former U.S. solicitor general and one of CNN’s lawyers on the case.
The White House Correspondents’ Association backed the lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., district court.
“The president of the United States should not be in the business of arbitrarily picking the men and women who cover him,” said Olivier Knox, president of the correspondents’ group.
CNN said Acosta was given no warning of the action, and no recourse to appeal it. Acosta traveled to Paris to cover Trump’s visit there this weekend and, although given permission by the French government to cover a news event, the Secret Service denied him entrance, the company said.
“Without this credential, a daily White House correspondent like Acosta effectively cannot do his job,” CNN’s lawsuit said.
CNN asked for an injunction to immediately reinstate Acosta, as well as a hearing on the larger issue of barring a reporter.
In an effort to prove the administration’s case last week, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders distributed via Twitter a doctored video sped up to make Acosta’s physical actions toward the intern seem more threatening.
That wasn’t mentioned by Sanders in a statement Tuesday. She cited his refusal to yield to other reporters after he asked Trump two questions.
“The White House cannot run an orderly and fair press conference when a reporter acts this way, which is neither appropriate nor professional,” Sanders said. “The First Amendment is not served when a single reporter, of more than 150 present, attempts to monopolize the floor.”
Trump told Acosta at the news conference that “CNN should be ashamed of itself, having you work for them. You are a rude, terrible person.”
Acosta has been a polarizing figure even beyond the distaste that Trump and his supporters have for him. The Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank, editorialized last week that Acosta’s encounter with Trump at the news conference “was less about asking questions and more about making statements. In doing so, the CNN White House reporter gave President Donald Trump room to critique Acosta’s professionalism.”
FAKE NEWS.
CNN is reporting this too, so it must be fake news.
I know CNN always lies because the POTUS said they are the worst FAKE NEWS.
How is this a case?
Just because Trumpus lost his temper at the press conf, insulted reporters, insulted and called out GOPers who LOST in the Midterms, then doctored the tape, then flew to France to miss the cemetery event and attack the first responders in California, and then missed the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington, why should he get sued? He should just be IMPEACHED…
“How is this a case” It doesn’t have to be a case or even the truth. Benghazi? 5 years of investigations? What was the case? Zero. Not a single person was indicted. (32 indictment so far against Trump)This is a war between the Neo-Nazis and the Free World.
I am no fan of Trump (Edumacated “Archy” even claims I’m one of the mythical “Yonis”), but Acosta was totally wrong on this one. If a president, any president, is holding a press conference, he can give any answer I want. He can recite the ABCs backwards. The reporter can do whatever he/she usually does with an answer. He doesn’t get to keep on asking questions, especially when he’s clearly told that his turn is up.
That being said, it would have been far wiser for the White House to SUSPEND Acosta’s access for a specific period (say, 30-90 days). That way they send the message to all reporters that there’s a consequence to unacceptable conduct. A lawsuit would be moot.
Because let’s face it, at the end of the day, Acosta’s privileges will eventually be reinstated – probably within 30-90 days.
Acosta must never be allowed to come back; I’m really surprised that he didn’t use the race card, since he is of Hispanic Cuban ancestry.
There is a formal process for obtaining WH press credentials. Once granted (there are about 2000 outstanding), it can be renewed every year with no scrutiny. It is unprecedented for a President to withdraw a press credential and certainly telling to do so because the president disagrees with the reporter. I do recommend doing the slightest bit of research before posting, especially those of you who are devotees of right wing media, since you are likely to be underinformed when it comes to the law, history, science and facts.
I’m neither a lawyer nor a judge (I passed the bar, and I refused to drink). But this lawsuit doesn’t pass the smell test. The credential to the WH is a privilege. Acosta’s freedom to report what he wants has not been touched. His ability to work for CNN has also not been affected. He can be reassigned easily, and he can continue to write stories for any media outlet he wishes, whether CNN or another one. To claim this interferes with First Amendment sounds frivolous to me. But this is not the first frivolous lawsuit to be filed.
There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution, which requires the President of the USA to hold a press conference; that being said, CNN was not banned from any future press conferences. The only person banned was that pompous, loudmouth, Jim Acosta. I hope his press credentials to the White House, are never reinstated.