White House Calls Lawsuit ‘More Grandstanding From CNN’

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The White House on Tuesday pushed back against a lawsuit filed by CNN over Jim Acosta’s press credentials being revoked.

“We have been advised that CNN has filed a complaint challenging the suspension of Jim Acosta’s hard pass. This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

Read the full statement below:

“We have been advised that CNN has filed a complaint challenging the suspension of Jim Acosta’s hard pass. This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.

CNN, who has nearly 50 additional hard pass holders, and Mr. Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the First Amendment. After Mr. Acosta asked the President two questions—each of which the President answered—he physically refused to surrender a White House microphone to an intern, so that other reporters might ask their questions. This was not the first time this reporter has inappropriately refused to yield to other reporters.

The White House cannot run an orderly and fair press conference when a reporter acts this way, which is neither appropriate nor professional. The First Amendment is not served when a single reporter, of more than 150 present, attempts to monopolize the floor. If there is no check on this type of behavior it impedes the ability of the President, the White House staff, and members of the media to conduct business.”

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Notable Replies

  1. The First Amendment is not served when a single reporter, of more than 150 present, attempts to monopolize the floor.

    This might be germane, if not for the fact about 140 of those 150 reporters wouldn't know how to pose Trump a difficult, challenging query even with a gun to their head.
  2. Avatar for tena tena says:

    Obviously Trump disagrees.

    And I’m really glad they sued.

  3. Avatar for johnrm johnrm says:

    Ha…Wh thinks its judge and jury… the evidence suggests other wise.

  4. he physically refused to surrender a White House microphone to an intern,

    Notable how when it gets to be a matter of law, everyone calms down and at least tries to be a bit more factual and real-world about it. He did, in fact, hold on to that microphone. They’re not claiming that 17 witnesses saw him try to kill the intern and eat her brains. That was last week.

  5. Law suit? Now they’re talking something that Donald John Trump can grasp. The difference being that they didn’t threaten to do it, they just did it.

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