CNN and Jim Acosta were doing a victory dance on television after a judge issued a ruling that said that The White House had to reinstate Acosta’s hard pass, but hold the phone.
Not everything the judge said was good for Acosta
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said that he would “rant the application for the temporary restraining order I order the [government] reinstate the pass.”
Sounds like victory doesn’t it?
But the sad news for grandstanding Jim is that not all of the decision was good.
For starters Judge Kelly said that The White House was within its rights to ignore Acosta from here on in, to never call on him and to grant him no interviews if it wants to.
In other words Acosta would be nothing more than a spectator.
“I want to emphasize the very limited nature of this ruling,” Judge Kelly said, The Hill reported.
It is limited because the decision is only temporary. Judge Kelly did not rule whether or not Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated.
It is not a victory for Acosta. It is a time out, the type you give to a child who is having a tantrum, which adequately describes Acosta.
The White House revoked Acosta’s pass last week after a contentious exchange with Trump during a televised press conference the day after the midterm elections. The cable network argued that the Trump administration’s move violated the First Amendment rights of both CNN and Acosta.
The courtroom showdown overseen by Kelly could have a grave effect on journalists’ rights to access the White House and cover the administration.
CNN and Acosta argued that the president revoked the credentials because he didn’t like the questions Acosta was asking. The government countered that Acosta’s credentials were revoked for grandstanding and refusing to surrender the microphone to a White House intern so that another reporter could ask a question.
When Acosta held onto the microphone at the Nov. 7 press conference, Trump called him a “rude, terrible person.”
And it could get worse for Jim, even with his pass back.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Kelly asked if there was a less-restrictive way that the White House could have reprimanded Acosta, perhaps by letting him keep his pass while prohibited him from attending press conferences.
Boutrous said that is a possibility.
The fight is not over.
https://thefederalistpapers.org/opinion/stop-celebration-cnn-bad-news-acosta?fbclid=IwAR2lJMEc2Q9cm0A1GXzwwZMNv2-ZILqncAfuE4sP7aG46yh2MRPVyYs13mQ
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