CNN, MS NOW And Politico Seek Extended Protection From Trump’s White House Ban
Three outlets seek continued White House access during legal proceedings.
Three news organisations that have been barred from the White House grounds have asked a court to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing the restrictions while their legal case is pending. CNN, MS NOW and Politico made the request late Monday, arguing that the administration has continued to apply the ban inconsistently despite a judge's temporary restraining order.
The organisations' lawyers said the White House's recent actions raised concerns that the restrictions could be fully restored if the court's protection expires. They pointed to an incident over the weekend in which CNN was prevented from carrying out its role in the White House television pool, despite the existing court order.
In their filing, the three outlets argued that continued enforcement of the restrictions would cause lasting harm to the organisations and the public. They asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction that would prevent the administration from enforcing the ban while the broader legal dispute is being considered.
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The plaintiffs have also maintained that the restrictions violate constitutional protections for the press and due-process rights. In a statement accompanying the filing, they described the ban as a violation of the First Amendment and argued that the administration's actions were aimed at punishing reporting it disagreed with.
Theodore J. Boutrous, the lead attorney representing the three organisations, said the administration had continued to indicate that the restrictions could be reinstated. He argued that the measures amounted to retaliation and viewpoint discrimination, while stressing the importance of maintaining the court's protection for the news organisations.
The request comes as the district court's temporary restraining order is set to expire this week. The three outlets are therefore seeking continued judicial protection to prevent the White House from implementing the restrictions while their underlying case is resolved.
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