Last Friday, Trump announced he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from covering the White House “effective immediately,” claiming they were “fake news,” … a claim he’s been running with for years on any outlet that refuse to stroke his little strands of hair. The three outlets weren’t having it. They banded together and filed a joint lawsuit Monday, arguing the whole thing was a clear violation of their constitutional rights.
Although the White House Press Office actually put it in writing, accusing the outlets of “trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information,” the judge wasn’t buying it. The judge pointed out that nothing in the record suggested the ban had anything to do with national security at all, since Trump’s own beef was just about coverage he didn’t like.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly who is a Trump appointee sitting on the D.C. Circuit ordered the White House to “return, reinstate, and restore” the journalists’ credentials. Despite the overnight ruling, CNN reporter Betsy Klein and a photojournalist tried to get onto the grounds multiple times Thursday morning, including after 9 a.m., and got turned away with zero explanation. No reason given. No apology. Just a hard no at the gate. Politico reported their journalists were still being denied entry early Thursday morning as well even after the judge’s order.
So now the question everybody’s asking: is this Trump still being petty, dragging his feet on purpose to make a point? Or did security really not get the memo yet? Because there’s a difference between bureaucratic slowness and straight-up defiance of a federal court order and right now it’s looking like it could be either one, or honestly, both.
Trump has not released a statement rehearing the judge’s decision. Until then let us know your thoughts on the comments box below!