WASHINGTON: CNN, MS NOW and Politico asked a federal court on Monday to block the White House press ban against them until their lawsuit is resolved.
Their request for a preliminary injunction follows a temporary order by US District Judge Timothy Kelly restoring their access.
That order expires on October 8 and outlets’ lawyers argued that the White House has applied the ban inconsistently despite the judge’s order.
Their filing cited CNN’s exclusion from a television pool assignment on September 26 and from Air Force One coverage of President Donald Trump’s trip to Tennessee.
Read: US Judge Restores White House Press Access to Three Outlets
CNN received no official explanation for the flight exclusion, the filing said. Other networks declined to send a replacement, leaving the trip without a primary television network pool reporter.
The dispute began when the White House barred reporters from the three organizations on September 19. Their lawsuit argues that the ban punishes their coverage and violates constitutional protections for the press.
Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the administration’s position on Sunday. Access to the White House is “a privilege, and not a right”, he said. He also defended the president’s authority to decide who travels on Air Force One.
Read: White House TV Pool Suspends Coverage After CNN Ban
Kelly’s temporary order restored access to White House grounds but did not directly address television pool assignments. The outlets now want the court to protect their access while it considers the wider case.
