DOJ Asks Court to Reject Lawsuit Challenging Trump’s Press Ban

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has defended President Donald Trump’s decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House and asked a court to deny their bid to restore their access.

Trump announced the ban on Sept. 18, accusing the news outlets of constantly reporting “fiction and lies” about the government. As a result, reporters from the three organizations were denied access to the White House, while some had their press passes revoked.

The outlets sued on Sept. 21, seeking a temporary restraining order that would block the administration from enforcing the ban, arguing that it violates the First Amendment.

In a Sept. 22 court filing, the DOJ argued that the ban is lawful under the First Amendment and that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right.

“At the very least, the Government may control reporters’ access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office, even for viewpoint-discriminatory reasons,” it stated.

The department said the president barred the outlets from White House grounds after determining that they “have failed to maintain minimum professional journalistic standards by publishing classified and national security information.”

The DOJ cited letters the White House sent individually to the three outlets explaining the reasons for revoking their press passes.

The letters identified reports that the White House found had “threatened national security and spread falsehoods,” including coverage on “‘top-secret’ construction details” relating to the White House’s East Wing bunker and funding for the White House ballroom, which the White House said included intricate descriptions of how the Secret Service would invest in security improvements.

The three news organizations were given until 5 p.m. on Sept. 25 to contest the president’s decision, according to the court filing.

The Epoch Times reached out to the outlets’ legal representative for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

The first hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 23 before federal District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington.

Trump signaled on Sept. 21 that he expects the judge to rule in favor of the outlets and said his administration would appeal if that happens.

“In any event, I have an obligation to fight for the Success and Safety of our Country. FAKE NEWS IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY, and I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that the U.S.A. thrives,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.

In 2018, during Trump’s first administration, the White House revoked then-CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credentials for failing to follow the general protocol of asking one question and a follow-up at a White House press conference. CNN filed a lawsuit, and Kelly, who presided over the case, sided with the plaintiff. The White House ultimately reinstated Acosta’s credentials and released a set of rules on journalistic conduct during press conferences.

Troy Myers contributed to this report.