Justice Department Defends White House Ban on Three News Outlets Over Alleged Security Concerns
The Justice Department argued that President Trump's revocation of White House credentials for CNN, MS NOW and Politico is justified by national-security and professionalism concerns, while the outlets claim the action violates the First Amendment and due-process rights.
Washington – The Justice Department filed a brief defending President Trump’s decision to strip CNN, MS NOW and Politico of their White House press credentials, asserting that the outlets’ reporting raised national-security issues and fell short of expected journalistic standards. The filing, submitted to a federal district court in Washington, D.C., described access to the White House as a privilege that can be denied when "minimum standards of professionalism" are not met and when classified or sensitive information is published.
The department attached letters from the White House press office notifying each outlet that their "hard passes" were revoked, citing "verifiable falsehoods about national security" and violations of decorum. The letters set a Friday deadline for a response and were presented as a response to the outlets’ claim that they were denied due-process because they received no prior notice.
The three news organizations have sued the president and senior aides, alleging that the ban infringes on First Amendment rights and discriminates based on editorial viewpoint. They asked U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly to order the restoration of their credentials. The judge, appointed by Trump, previously ruled in favor of a CNN reporter whose press pass had been revoked during the former administration.
The Justice Department’s argument precedes a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, during which the court will consider whether the administration’s action was legally permissible. Dozens of other news outlets have filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs.