Jim Acosta was part of a White House access fight on Tuesday after the Department of Justice said Donald Trump can bar, MS NOW and Politico from restricted White House areas before a Wednesday court hearing. The filing came after Trump ordered the 3 media outlets barred from the presidential mansion.
Trump told reporters at the United Nations General Assembly this week, "I'm surprised that is here covering me, you shouldn't be here," and has described his reason for the ban as "fake news." The outlets asked for a temporary restraining order, and they have until Friday to object to the government’s position.
Department of Justice filing
The Department of Justice said in its Tuesday court filing that access to the White House is a privilege, not a right. It said Trump can control reporters’ access to restricted presidential areas, including the Oval Office.
The filing also said letters explaining the president’s reasons for the ban were sent to the outlets on Tuesday. Those letters cited numerous reporting incidents that, according to the filing, threatened national security and spread falsehoods. The letter to cited a story about Trump’s plans to build a bunker below the East Wing ballroom he is constructing, and said the story disclosed top-secret construction details.
That filing put the issue directly before a U.S. district judge, who set a hearing for Wednesday. If the outlets keep pressing their challenge, the dispute now turns on whether access to restricted presidential spaces can be treated as a revocable privilege under the U.S. Constitution fight they say the ban violates.
White House access dispute
Journalists from, MS NOW and Politico were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday, and their passes were confiscated that same day. The outlets say the ban is a direct assault on the First Amendment and a blatant violation of constitutional principles.
The question before the court is narrower than the politics around it. It is whether a temporary restraining order will block the ban before Friday, or whether the White House can keep the outlets out while the case moves forward.
