Reporters from Politico were barred from boarding Air Force One on Monday afternoon as a federal judge weighs a legal saga that began last month after President Donald Trump banned it, CNN, and MS Now from the White House.
Politico was scheduled to be a part of the out-of-town press pool and travel with the president to Nebraska as part of his midterm campaign tour, but reporters from the outlet were not allowed to board the presidential aircraft.
The saga began Sept. 18 when Trump declared on social media that Politico, CNN, and MS Now were banned from the White House for reporting “FICTION and LIES.” Reporters from the outlets were denied access to White House grounds the following day.
The outlets sued the administration Sept. 21, claiming that the ban violated the First Amendment. They sought both preliminary and permanent injunctions on the implementation and the enforcement of the president’s ban immediately.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump nominee, then ordered the administration to reinstate the reporters’ credentials on Sept. 24, halting the president’s ban for 14 days. Reporters were allowed on the grounds that afternoon after ABC News, which was listed as the White House TV pool that day, suspended its coverage until CNN reporters were permitted access. The situation unfolded as Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Washington.
Despite credentials being reinstated, CNN has repeatedly been barred from fulfilling its out-of-town pool duties. Trump told Time magazine during a recent interview that allowing the outlets access to the White House grounds, as ordered by Kelly, is different than allowing them access to the Oval Office or Air Force One.
With less than a week left in Kelly’s halt on the ban, the three media groups petitioned the federal judge to extend the restraining order blocking the president from instituting the restrictions.
“The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity,” the court filing reads.
Also on Monday, Trump went after the New York Times for what he described as unfair coverage of his visit to Ohio over the weekend, calling for the journalists to be arrested.
“The Ohio Arena was already full to the brim — And yet these people were still trying to get in,” Trump wrote alongside a video of a line outside. “The New York Times said, ‘There were empty seats’ when, in fact, there were none, and thousands of people had to be turned away. The New York Times, and many other Artificial Media Outlets, should be arrested for their dishonesty and disservice to our Country. When Bernie Sanders has 500 to 1,000 people, they make it sound like it’s the biggest event that ever took place. When PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP has 50,000 people, they make it sound like nobody showed up!”
On Saturday, the Justice Department asked Kelly to reinstate the ban, arguing that access to the White House is a privilege, not a right.
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CNN, MS Now, and Politico had long been granted “privileged access” to the White House, but Trump determined they had failed to meet “basic minimum standards of professionalism and decorum expected of those given access to the White House Complex,” including by “publishing sensitive or classified information.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Politico and the White House for comment.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
