The US Department of Justice has argued that President Donald Trump has the authority to restrict journalists’ access to parts of the White House, as three major news organisations challenge their exclusion from the presidential complex.
In a court filing ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, the Justice Department said Trump could “control reporters’ access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office,” maintaining that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right.
The dispute involves CNN, MS NOW and Politico, whose journalists were barred from the White House grounds and had their passes confiscated after Trump ordered restrictions on their access.
The administration said the outlets had been involved in reporting incidents it considered threats to national security or the dissemination of false information. The outlets, however, have challenged the restrictions in court, arguing that the action violates the First Amendment protections for freedom of the press.
The Justice Department filing said letters outlining the reasons for the restrictions had been sent to the affected organisations, giving them until Friday to respond.
The case is now before a US district judge, who is expected to consider the news organisations’ request for a temporary restraining order against the access restrictions.
The dispute has renewed a broader confrontation between Trump and sections of the US media over access, reporting standards and the administration’s treatment of news organisations critical of its policies.
