White House hits back at CNN lawsuit
CNN’s lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Trump administration after veteran reporter Jim Acosta was stripped of his White House credentials is “just more grandstanding” from the cable news network, the White House fired back.
Acosta was banned from the White House after a testy exchange with President Trump last week.
CNN and Acosta are both plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in D.C. District Court. Trump, chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, Secret Service director Randolph Alles and an unidentified Secret Service officer are defendants in the lawsuit.
“The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta’s First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process,” the cable network said.
CNN has asked for a restraining order requiring that the White House pass be returned to Acosta, and the cable giant “will seek permanent relief as part of this process.”
The case has been assigned to Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee.
Sanders said in a statement on Tuesday that the White House will “vigorously defend” itself against the lawsuit, and emphasized that CNN has nearly 50 additional hard pass holders.
“Mr. Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the First Amendment,” Sanders said. “After Mr. Acosta asked the President two questions — each of which the President answered — he physically refused to surrender a White House microphone to an intern, so that other reporters might ask their questions.”
Sanders previously claimed that Acosta placed his hands on a young woman while trying to hold onto a microphone, but witnesses have contradicted that claim.
This was not the first time that Acosta has “inappropriately” refused to yield to other reporters, Sanders said.
“The First Amendment is not served when a single reporter, of more than 150 present, attempts to monopolize the floor,” she said.