CNN, Politico seek permanent order forcing White House to restore press pool access

Three major news organizations asked a federal court on Wednesday to make its recent access orders permanent. CNN, MSNOW, and Politico filed an amended complaint alleging the White House continues to exclude their reporters from the rotating press pool. The outlets claim this ongoing exclusion violates the president's previous court orders.

The legal dispute centers on whether the executive branch can punish media companies based on the content of their reporting. The news groups argue the current ban constitutes viewpoint discrimination. They contend this practice is forbidden under the First Amendment's free speech protections. The filing seeks to lock in the court's recent findings to stop the administration from blocking journalists in the long term.

Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., the attorney representing the three outlets, stated that the White House is still keeping reporters out of key areas. He noted that the ban prevents coverage in the very locations where the president most frequently engages with the press. Boutrous said the administration is refusing to let CNN, MSNOW, and Politico return to the pool as ordered.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the initial rulings about two weeks ago. On October 13, Kelly found that the news outlets were likely to succeed in their case. He ruled that the administration violated the outlets' Fifth Amendment right to due process. Kelly also sided with the argument that the ban breached their First Amendment rights. He rejected the president's claim that the ban was necessary for national security or policy goals.

Judge Kelly wrote that the ban was the result of Trump's stated belief that the reporting was inaccurate and biased. The judge called this action unlawful viewpoint discrimination. The president insists he does not have to allow news outlets whose reports he dislikes onto White House grounds or Air Force One. As of Thursday morning, the White House had not responded to the amended lawsuit.

The outlets warn that the current situation sets a precedent for other media companies. They wrote in their filing that every news organization now faces the risk of similar punishment. The group argued that this practice deprives the public of current and complete information about its government. The case pits the president directly against the news outlets that cover him for daily access to the executive office.