CNN sued Donald Trump and several of his aides following the ban of network’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta from accessing the building. The White House suspended the press pass of Acosta last week after the reporter asked the president about his language surrounding the migrant caravan heading to the border of the United States. It resulted in a heated exchange. The White House blamed Acosta of placing his hands on an intern who was trying to take back a microphone from him during the press conference in White House.
The press secretary of White House, Sarah Sanders also shared an apparently distorted video clip of the press conference as evidence. The suit mentions that both Acosta’s and CNN’s constitutional rights are being impinged upon by the elimination of the Secret Service “hard pass” and calls for the immediate reinstatement of Acosta’s press credentials.
The lawsuit also claimed that CNN’s first amendment right to free speech is being violated, as is the 5th amendment right to due process. CNN has indicated that it was given no right to respond to the pass being removed, or any notice that it would be. There are 6 defendants named in the lawsuit, including Trump, White House chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine and Secret Service director Joseph Clancy. CNN demands the return of the White House credentials of CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. The network also indicated that wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta’s first amendment rights of freedom of the press and their 5th amendment rights to due process.