Collins: White House backing down from NIH grant order

Washington — On Wednesday, the contentious dispute between President Donald Trump and media organizations he opposes expanded to a courtroom in the nation's capital, where a judge is examining if the president's prohibition of three news organizations from White House grounds infringes upon the Constitution. The administration has reaffirmed its stance that entry into the White House is a privilege, not a right, asserting in a court submission on Tuesday.

The administration also contended that the reporting from the three outlets — CNN, MSNBC, and Politico — threatens national security. Early remarks from Trump revolved around the negative coverage by the outlets and allegations of "fake news." Legal experts deem the case historic, with Katie Fallow, deputy litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, noting, "No president has taken this explicit of a step" to ban entire news organizations simply due to their unfavorable reporting.