CNN, MS NOW, Politico ask judge to extend block on White House ban 

NEW YORK – CNN, MS NOW and Politico asked a federal judge on Sept 28 to issue a court order preserving their White House access while they fight US President Donald Trump’s move to ban them over coverage he dislikes.

The news outlets asked a judge overseeing their case in Washington federal court to grant a preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s bans until there is a final ruling in the case.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly had previously issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking the bans, finding that they likely violated the news outlets’ rights to fair legal treatment.

Despite the order, CNN on Sept 25 said it was barred from traveling with Trump on Air Force One for a weekend trip to Tennessee.

The plaintiffs’ filing referenced the episode to argue that the “White House has persisted in unpredictably and inconsistently” implementing the ban.

The judge’s order preserving the outlets’ White House access expires on Oct 8.

The outlets said in their Sept 21 lawsuit that Trump’s bans were unlawful viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees free speech and free press rights.

The Justice Department said Trump lawfully banned the outlets after determining that their coverage threatened national security by revealing classified information.

Trump said in a Sept 18 social media post that he was banning the outlets for “reporting fake news” and that they “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies”.

Trump has frequently clashed with the media in his second term and personally sued outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and BBC for defamation.

The Trump administration has until Oct 2 to respond to the outlets’ filing on Sept 28, CNN said in a statement. REUTERS