News organizations ask court to bar White House enforcement of access ban until case is resolved

Three news organizations banished from White House grounds asked a court late Monday to block enforcement of the action until the case is resolved, saying the Trump administration has “persisted in unpredictably and inconsistently implementing its ban” despite a judge’s restraining order — including by barring CNN from fulfilling its role in the White House television pool over the weekend.

“The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity,” wrote lawyers for CNN, MS NOW and Politico.

”Because the ban is an unlawful assault on the most fundamental First Amendment freedoms and will inflict irreparable harm on Plaintiffs and the public if not restrained, this Court should preliminarily enjoin its enforcement pending the resolution of this case,” the filing said.

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In a statement, the plaintiffs reiterated that Trump’s ban on the three news outlets was “a blatant violation of the First Amendment and due process.”

“The president and his administration have continued to make clear that this ban has only one purpose: to punish reporting he doesn’t like,” said Theodore J. Boutrous, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney.

“That’s retaliation and viewpoint discrimination, pure and simple,” Boutros said. “With the district court’s temporary restraining order expiring this week, it is critical to ensure that the White House continues to be prevented from implementing this unconstitutional ban on the free press.”