Scaramucci: Leavitt would have told Trump not to ban media outlets

On Wednesday, CNN, MS NOW and Politico requested a US federal judge to immediately lift President Donald Trump's ban on their access to the White House. District Judge Timothy Kelly postponed his decision after a lengthy court hearing but promised to issue a ruling as soon as possible. The three news organizations went to court following Trump's Friday order to bar them from the White House in response to their reporting that he deemed "fake news" and "fiction and lies."

The media outlets sued for a temporary restraining order, arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment's guarantee of a free press. The DOJ countered that Trump can control reporters' access to restricted presidential areas like the Oval Office. Access to the White House is a privilege, not a right, according to the White House Press Office, which accused the media organizations of spreading "verifiable falsehoods" about national security and sensitive information.

CNN's legal representative Theodore Boutrous challenged the judge's characterization of the ban as a national security issue during Wednesday's hearing. Boutrous emphasized that Trump's decision to punish reporters for reporting on national security matters contradicts First Amendment principles. Journalists for CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied entry to the White House grounds on Saturday and had their passes taken away, continuing the ongoing feud between the 80-year-old Republican president and mainstream US media.