In a filing submitted to a federal court in Washington, the US Justice Department argued that access by reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico to restricted areas inside the White House could be limited. The filing was submitted to the court in a lawsuit brought by the three media organizations.
The department said, “Access to the White House is a privilege, not a right.” The filing also stated that journalists’ entry to restricted areas belonging to the presidency, such as the Oval Office, could be controlled to protect national security information.
Department defends viewpoint-based justifications
The Justice Department argued that the government could control journalists’ access to areas such as the Oval Office even when viewpoint-based discriminatory justifications were involved.
The court filings alleged that President Trump had determined that the organizations had carried out a series of journalistic activities that threatened national security. They said the reports in question had directly raised national security concerns.
News coverage cited to justify access restrictions
The Justice Department also submitted letters sent to the media organizations to the court. A letter concerning CNN cited as examples reports about plans to build a “top-secret” bunker beneath the White House ballroom and about attacks against Iran.
MS NOW’s coverage of tensions with Iran and an investigation into a leak were also listed among the justifications. Politico’s reports on Iran, the ballroom and sanctions against Russia were likewise linked to the access restrictions.
The department presented the letters as evidence against the claim that the media organizations’ procedural rights had been violated because they were not given an opportunity to object before their access was blocked.
Trump announced entry ban on September 18
In a post on his social media account on September 18, President Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico had been immediately banned from the White House. Trump justified the decision by accusing the organizations of continuously producing “fake news.”
The three media organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court against the ban on their reporters entering the White House. Subsequently, leading television news organizations including ABC, CBS, Fox News, NBC and CNN suspended joint pool coverage.
