CNN, MS NOW denied White House dinner access despite ruling
Photo: REUTERS
US President Donald Trump initiated the press ban on 18 September, publicly accusing CNN, Politico, and MS NOW of publishing “fiction or lies” concerning his administration.
By 19 September, all three news organizations reported that security personnel denied them access to the White House grounds and confiscated their press badges. In response, the targeted news outlets asserted that the Trump administration violated their constitutional rights.
On 21 September, the networks issued a joint statement announcing legal action to “defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports.”
In a legal submission on 22 September, the US Department of Justice alleged that the news outlets posed a threat to national security through their coverage. Federal attorneys specifically referenced stories detailing missile stockpiles, the construction of the White House ballroom, and the recent Republican midterm convention.
Meanwhile, over 50 media organizations across the ideological spectrum filed an amicus brief endorsing the lawsuit. High-profile outlets backing the suit included Fox News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
A federal judge issued an overnight ruling declaring that the White House ban on CNN, Politico, and MS NOW was likely unconstitutional, ordering the administration to grant them access for now.
Judge Timothy Kelly said the suspension should temporarily be lifted because the White House “likely violated their constitutional due process rights.” He expressed skepticism regarding claims that national security concerns justified the exclusion, emphasizing that the president omitted any mention of security threats in his initial announcement.
In his written opinion, Kelly added, “The record lacks factual support for defendants’ contention that the revocation of plaintiffs’ hard passes will in fact protect national security.”
Judge Kelly concluded that CNN, Politico, and MS NOW were “likely to succeed” in proving that the White House failed to exercise “adequate due process” regarding the ban. As a result, he mandated the immediate return of the outlets’ press passes and placed a 14-day hold on enforcement. Trump previously barred the three outlets last week, accusing them of reporting “fake news”.
Despite the overnight court order, staff barred journalists from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from entering the White House on Thursday morning, leading the outlets to request an emergency court hearing.
The director of White House Operations then said in a court filing officials had restored the press passes and returned confiscated badges by 09:45 local time. Shortly after that filing, all three organizations confirmed that security allowed them back inside. Journalists representing the three outlets gained entry on Thursday.
However, major broadcast networks including Fox News, NBC, CBS, and ABC - which previously pulled out in solidarity - have yet to confirm when they will resume broadcast coverage from the White House. This chaotic standoff limited some television coverage as President Trump welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the White House ahead of a state dinner.
Tensions flared again on Thursday evening when White House staff turned away a CNN reporter, a CNN producer, and an MS NOW reporter seeking to cover guests arriving for the state dinner for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Representatives from the outlets added that they had properly submitted their reporters’ names for credentials to cover the arrivals. CNN said around one hour prior to leader Xi’s scheduled arrival, the White House informed the network that it could cover the event only with a photojournalist and an audio technician, excluding a team that included a reporter and producer.
During the dinner arrivals, White House staff told MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barron-Lopez that she could not enter and instructed her to contact the White House communications director.
BBC contacted the White House for comment regarding the situation. Addressing the controversy, an official White House communications account posted on X that “contrary to what the Fake News wants you to believe, they don’t just get to have free rein into every part of the White House, every event, and every press call.”
This evening incident marked the latest event on Thursday surrounding the ban on select media outlets at the White House.
The recent dispute represents another instance in a series of historical attempts by presidential administrations to limit media access. Back in 2009, the Obama administration attempted to exclude Fox News from participating in a specific press pool interview with an administration official. However, following objections from the other four networks in the press pool, Fox News was allowed in.
Source: BBC (adapted)
