So the White House press-ban circus is still running, because apparently the people’s house now needs a velvet rope and a clipboard guy deciding which reporters are sufficiently flattering.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly extended the temporary order protecting CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters’ access to the White House while he considers their request for a longer-lasting injunction. The outlets say they were targeted over unfavorable coverage; the administration has argued that its concerns include national security and journalistic practices.
Kelly said he expected to rule by Tuesday, and he pressed the government’s position during the hearing. That does not decide the case, naturally. But it does mean the White House cannot just toss three news organizations out like somebody who ordered onion rings and started a fight at the bar—at least not while the court is sorting out whether the Constitution still applies when coverage gets under the president’s skin.
The underlying lawsuit and docket are public, for anyone keeping score at home on a CB radio beside a pile of empty bottles. The immediate consequence is straightforward: the disputed restrictions remain blocked for now, and the court will decide whether that protection should continue while the First Amendment case proceeds.
Sources
- Associated Press: Media attorneys ask court for help in preventing White House ban until legal case is resolved
- CourtListener: Cable News Network Inc. v. Trump docket
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Featured image: E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse from NGA East Building.jpg by Toohool, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
