Justice Department backs Trump's ban on CNN, Politico and MS Now

theguardian.com —

The US Department of Justice has defended President Donald Trump's ban of CNN, Politico, and MS Now from the White House, arguing in a court filing that access is a "privilege" and citing national security concerns. The news organizations have sued, claiming the ban violates the First Amendment. Justice Department lawyers argued Trump concluded the outlets "fail to satisfy the minimum requirements of professionalism" by relying on anonymous sources and not giving the White House enough time to comment. They also claimed the organizations violated "decorum" by publishing classified or sensitive national security information, and asked the judge to allow the ban to be enforced. The three outlets sued Trump on Monday after he announced the ban for reporting "fake news," an accusation he has often made without evidence. They are seeking a temporary restraining order to restore their hard passes, with a hearing expected Wednesday at 3:30 pm ET.


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