The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a legal brief late Tuesday strongly advocating for President Donald Trump’s decision to prohibit three news organizations from entering the White House, arguing that media access is a privilege rather than an inherent right. The administration maintained that the President was justified in acting based on national security considerations after the outlets reportedly published classified or sensitive information.
The filing addresses the recent lawsuit filed by CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, which seeks to block the ban through a preliminary injunction. The government’s position was presented ahead of a scheduled teleconference hearing on Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, D.C.
According to the DOJ, President Trump determined that the plaintiffs had compromised national security by reporting on classified matters. Consequently, the administration asserts there is a compelling interest in restricting White House grounds access to entities that do not present such risks. The document highlights that the ban was issued on Friday following these determinations.
Judge Kelly, a judicial appointee of President Trump, will hear arguments from the outlets’ legal team during the upcoming proceeding. The press organizations are contesting the summary nature of the prohibition, while the Justice Department continues to defend the executive branch’s authority to curtail access based on reported breaches of security protocols.
So now we’re banning newspapers like it’s 1984? The erosion of media access is terrifying.
This feels like a dangerous precedent. If the White House can ban any outlet for ‘national security,’ press freedom is effectively dead.
I’m surprised they named MS NOW. Is that a real outlet or did they mean MSNBC? Seems like a typo in the reporting.
Privilege, not a right. The DOJ has a solid legal argument here if actual classified info was leaked.