CNN has filed a lawsuit against the White House demanding the immediate restoration of chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press credentials, which were revoked last week following a public confrontation with President Donald Trump during a press conference.
The cable news network lodged the case in a federal district court in Washington, naming President Trump and several senior aides, including White House chief of staff John Kelly, communications director Bill Shine and press secretary Sarah Sanders. The White House had accused Acosta of placing his hands on an intern, but video footage showed the accusation to be false. A doctored version of the video was later posted on social media by Sanders.
CNN's worldwide president, Jeff Zucker, said in a memo that the network would always stand up for its rights, citing First Amendment protections. CNN said the lawsuit was brought on behalf of all journalists, warning that if left unchallenged, the White House's action would create a dangerous chain effect for any journalist covering officials.
The legal action has been backed by the White House Correspondents' Association, which said the president should not be in the business of arbitrarily picking the men and women who cover him. First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams said a journalist may not be stripped of access because of distaste for his questions or a desire to retaliate. The White House responded that the lawsuit was 'more grandstanding' and noted that CNN has nearly 50 other hard pass holders.
