CNN has warned that it could return to court if the White House continues to exclude its journalists from covering President Donald Trump’s travels aboard Air Force One.
The warning comes as the network remains engaged in a legal dispute with the Trump administration over restrictions on press access to the White House.
CNN attorney Theodore J. Boutrous Jr. raised the issue in a letter to Justice Department attorney Michael K. Velchik, saying CNN had been excluded from the television press pool covering Trump’s Air Force One travels at least four times.
The television pool consists of journalists from ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox, who rotate assignments covering presidential trips and share video from their coverage.
Boutrous said CNN had maintained access to the Oval Office and Air Force One for 45 years, arguing that access to the locations should not be controlled by any particular administration because journalists cover the president on behalf of the American public.
He accused the White House of establishing an apparent policy that prevents CNN from participating fully in the presidential travel press pool and limits the network’s ability to carry out its journalistic duties.
The dispute follows a ruling last week by US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who granted CNN, MS NOW and Politico a preliminary injunction against restrictions preventing their reporters from entering White House grounds.
Kelly also found that the three media organisations were likely to succeed in their claims that the restrictions violated their First Amendment and due process rights.
However, CNN said the ruling had not stopped the White House from restricting its participation in presidential travel coverage.
Boutrous described the continued exclusion as retaliation and discrimination allegedly linked to CNN’s news coverage. He warned that the network would seek further legal action if the restrictions continued.
“If these actions persist, CNN will have no choice but to return to the court,” Boutrous said, according to the letter.
The attorney gave the White House two days to respond to CNN’s concerns.
The Justice Department had not responded to a request for comment from The Associated Press on the latest dispute.
The latest development adds to the growing tensions between CNN and the Trump administration over press access and journalists’ ability to cover the president.
Goodness Anunobi
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