Banned outlets ask judge to block potential CNN pool ban

By Sandra Rhodes (/journals/sandra-rhodes)

The war of President Donald Trump versus the banned news outlets continue as the outlets are asking a federal judge to intervene in the administration’s ongoing efforts to keep CNN from covering the president via pool duty.

In a court filing this week, an attorney representing the outlets, wrote “the White House’swords and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity.”

The Trump administration is still enforcing the ban “unpredictably and inconsistently,” the outlets argued and thus is causing CNN “irreparable harm.”

“Moreover, the ban independently violates the First Amendment by restricting access to and use of a nonpublic forum on viewpoint-discriminatory and unreasonable terms,” the attorney wrote, reiterating an argument he made when the outlets initially sued to regain access to the White House.

This latest filing comes as each network has decided to resume pool coverage. However, CNN’s ability to fulfill its duty in the rotating list of outlets covering the president’s daily activities remains in doubt.

Trump banned the outlets earlier this month. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled last week the White House violated the media companies due process rights.

Tensions arose between CNN and the White House over the weekend when the outlet was kept from Air Force One as Trump traveled to Tennessee to attend a college football game.

The president has accused CNN and other outlets of peddling “fake news” and suggested he has a right to keep them from covering him.

CNN is slated for pool coverage on Thursday. The Trump administration is required to submit a response to this week’s filing by Friday.