White House Fires Back At CNN-Jim Acosta Lawsuit, Calling It ‘Grandstanding,’ Promising A ‘Vigorous Defense’
The White House has responded to CNN’s lawsuit over the credentials of its reporter Jim Acosta, calling it “grandstanding” and promising a “vigorous defense,” MSN is reporting.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, on Monday, CNN filed suit against the Trump White House over its handling of an altercation between reporter Jim Acosta and a White House intern. Last week, during a testy White House press conference, CNN’s Jim Acosta pressed Donald Trump with questions, over Trump’s objections. Trump then ordered a White House intern to confiscate Acosta’s microphone.
What happened next remains a matter of dispute. Acosta claims that he merely resisted when the intern tried to grab his microphone. The White House, however, claims that Acosta accosted the intern, and even released video of the event to back up their claim. As the Associated Press later reported, an independent video expert hired by the news agency to review the footage deemed it “doctored.”
Regardless, the White House revoked Acosta’s White House Press Corps credentials. CNN filed suit to get them back, claiming that the White House violates both his First and Fifth Amendment rights and demanding that his credentials be restored.
“The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta’s First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process.”
CNN lawsuit isn't just about Jim Acosta's White House badge https://t.co/FakZ9Hsnpx pic.twitter.com/DrKSwgs8IU
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 13, 2018
About an hour after the suit was announced, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded. In a lengthy statement, she claimed that Acosta tried to “monopolize” the question-and-answer period that day, to the exclusion of the 150 or so other reporters who were in the room that day, and that such behavior can’t be allowed.
“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.”
The Trump White House and CNN have been at odds since even before Trump was elected, and the Atlanta-based cable news network remains a target of his ire. As the Hill reported in October, days after mail bombs were sent to CNN and various Democrat officials, at a campaign rally that night Trump supporters chanted “CNN sucks!”
