Trump's DOJ Says 50-Year-Old Precedent Should be Overruled in Media Fight
CNN, MS NOW and Politico, have filed a lawsuit after being barred from White Hosue access by the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) has declared the 1977 ruling protecting journalists' access to White House press credentials to be "wrong" and in need of revision. In a court filing on Tuesday, the DOJ argued against certain aspects of the Sherrill v. Knight ruling, which found that the White House must provide journalists with reasons for denying press passes and allow them the chance to respond.
Although the defendants recognized Sherrill's holding that White House reporters possess protectable due process rights, they expressed their disagreement with the ruling and reserved the right to challenge it on appeal through their lawyers. The filing further argued that the White House's decision should remain in place even under the Sherrill ruling.
However, the DOJ maintained that Trump's actions are justified due to his "compelling interest" in enforcing minimum standards for genuine journalists and protecting national security information. Three prominent news outlets—CNN, MSNBC, and Politico, which were recently barred from the White House by Trump—have initiated a First Amendment lawsuit in an effort to reinstate their access.
Trump has accused these media organizations of disseminating "fiction and lies" and subsequently established a continuous video channel called "Trump TV: The Essentials Station."
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
