CNN: Judge Postpones Possible Decision on Press Pass

CNN says a D.C. district judge has postponed further proceedings on its suit against Donald Trump et al. until Friday at 10 a.m.

CNN has argued that the President, press secretary Sarah Sanders, chief of staff John Kelly and others are violating Jim Acosta's First Amendment rights every day he is banned form the White House and grounds.

The senior White House correspondent's press pass was pulled last week after he briefly refused to give up the mic while trying to get the President to answer some tough questions about immigration and the Russia investigation.

Judge Timothy J. Kelly had signaled he would be reconvening the hearing on CNN's request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction Thursday at 3 p.m., with CNN expecting that to yield a ruling on its request for an immediate return of the pass.

CNN is asking for both temporary relief and permanent relief, the latter being a ruling that the White House's revocation of the pass was unconstitutional.

Numerous news outlets including Fox News—whose programs President Trump has periodically praised—have sided with CNN on the issue.

President Trump is apparently not taking too much humbrage at the Fox position. The President has agreed to a sit-down with Fox News' Chris Wallace Sunday.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.