Washington – A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Friday to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, saying Acosta suffered “irreparable harm” from the decision to bar him.
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U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, an appointee of President Donald Trump, announced his decision following a hearing. The judge said Acosta’s credentials would be returned immediately and reactivated to allow him access to the White House.
CNN had asked the judge to force the White House to return the credentials that give Acosta, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, access to the White House complex for press briefings and other events.
The judge granted CNN’s request for a temporary restraining order. A lawsuit that CNN brought against the Trump administration over the issue is continuing.
The White House revoked Acosta’s credentials after he and Trump tangled during a press conference last week.
The judge said the government could not say who initially decided to revoke Acosta’s hard pass. The White House had spelled out its reasons for revoking his credentials in a tweet from White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and in a statement after CNN filed its lawsuit. But the judge said those “belated efforts were hardly sufficient to satisfy due process.”
The judge also found that Acosta suffered “irreparable harm,” dismissing the government’s argument that CNN could simply send other reporters to cover the White House in Acosta’s place.
The suit by CNN alleges that Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated by suspending his hard pass. While the judge didn’t rule on the underlying case, he signaled they were likely to prevail in their claims.
The judge told attorneys to file additional court papers in the case by Monday.
“Let’s go back to work!” Acosta said outside the courthouse after the ruling.
Trump has made his dislike of CNN clear since before he took office and continuing into his presidency. He has described the network as “fake news” both on Twitter and in public comments.
At last week’s press conference, which followed the midterm elections, Trump was taking questions from reporters and called on Acosta, who asked about Trump’s statements about a caravan of migrants making its way to the U.S.-Mexico border. After a terse exchange, Trump told Acosta, “That’s enough,” several times while calling on another reporter.
Acosta attempted to ask another question about special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and initially declined to give up a hand-held microphone to a White House intern. Trump responded to Acosta by saying he wasn’t concerned about the investigation, calling it a “hoax,” and then criticized Acosta, calling him a “rude, terrible person.”
The White House pulled Acosta’s credentials hours later.
The White House explanations for why it seized Acosta’s credentials have shifted over the last week.
Sanders initially explained the decision by accusing Acosta of making improper physical contact with the intern seeking to grab the microphone.
But that rationale disappeared after witnesses backed Acosta’s account that he was just trying to keep the microphone, and Sanders distributed a doctored video that made it appear Acosta was more aggressive than he actually was. On Tuesday, Sanders accused Acosta of being unprofessional by trying to dominate the questioning at the news conference.
A Trump appointed judge…this is a meaningful victory for the rule of law, principle and democracy
This comes a day after a group of conservative attorneys (Federalist Society – members include Clarence Thomas) issued a warning that Trump’s actions vis a vis Sessions/Whitaker and Costa are “eroding the rule of law.”
He’s never going to get called on to ask a question again. Might as well send someone else.
This is meant as a serious question as I do not no the customs and procedures of a presidential news conference. What is to prevent them from just returning the pass and then simply not call on him. There are plenty of reporters in that room that don’t get called on. It seems like it would be a lot harder to Acosta and CNN to fight.
Sarah Sander’s attempt to frame Acosta with doctored video has failed. Great day for freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Don the Con must find it frustrating that unlike his buddies Putin, Kim and Bin Salaman he can’t just silence his critics.
Another kick in the pants to trumpf clown administration. Most Judges don’t think the free press is the ‘enemy of the people’. They think toxic trumpf is.
Crazy judge . You watch the video and you can see it all .
Treat him like second class and don’t ever call on this rotten animal .
Hope they appeal
C’mon hashoteh, bust a gut. What’s taking you so long?
Acosta is a disgusting person who is not a reported he is a partisan leftist hack editorialist who makes believe he is reprtingvwhen he is just attacking the president from now on the president and the press secretary should just ignore the slimeball
I cannot imagine why this went to the courts.
Happy Saturday.