CNN wins this one over President Trump. A federal judge said the White House must reinstate the press credentials of Jim Acosta.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled to go against the wishes of the president. In his eyes the president overstepped his authority to settle a personal vendetta with Jim Acosta.
“This is a case in which the White House’s visceral anger at the press in general and at Acosta and CNN in particular collided with binding Constitutional precedent, including precedent that clearly governed -- and precluded -- the revocation of Jim Acosta’s White House press access,” said Jeffrey Robbins, a First Amendment lawyer who has nothing to do with the case. “This is going to prove to be a decision with consequences far beyond what happened to Mr. Acosta.”
This ruling comes in the middle of Trump's war on #FakeNews CNN. Other networks, even Trump ally Fox News, had CNN's back when it comes to this ruling.
Acosta held what's officially known as a hard pass. This gave him access to the White House complex. On November 7 this was revoked after a press conference where he swiped at a White House aide who was taking the microphone from him.
Here is the entire exchange:
CNN released a statement on the ruling:
Statement from CNN and @Acosta on today’s ruling: “We are gratified with this result and we look forward to a full resolution in the coming days. Our sincere thanks to all who have supported not just CNN, but a free, strong and independent American press.”
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 16, 2018
President Trump has not yet taken to Twitter to express how he feels on the issue.
