The White House said on Friday it will abide by a federal judge’s order to restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass, but insisted “there must be decorum at the White House.”
In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Donald Trump’s staff “will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future.”
“In response to the court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporter’s hard pass,” said Sanders.
Huckabee Sanders did claim a partial victory though… by saying the federal judge “made clear that there is no absolute First Amendment right to access the White House.”
Acosta’s pass was originally pulled on Nov. 7 following a press conference standoff with President Donald Trump. But Judge Timothy J. Kelly ruled Friday that the White House return the credential. The Sanders statement does not note whether the White House will continue its fight in the courts to keep Acosta out.
Judge Kelly did not rule on whether the Trump administration violated Acosta’s First Amendment rights by suspending his press credentials, the central claim of CNN’s lawsuit.
Kelly ordered Acosta’s press pass be re-instated while he rules on the underlying lawsuit.
The judge said the network is likely to succeed in arguing the reporter’s Fifth Amendment rights to due process were violated by the White House when it suspended Acosta’s credentials after a contentious exchange with President Trump.
Twitter is having a field day:
I’m so sorry your doctored InfoWars video didn’t sway the judge, @PressSec [1].
Please say hi to @Acosta [2] for me.
— andy lassner (@andylassner) November 16, 2018 [3]
Dear @PressSec [1],
Give Acosta his hard pass back you freedom trampling lying behemoth.
cheers,
THE LAW— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) November 16, 2018 [4]
Can all of the other reporters please just yield their time over to @Acosta [2] so that he’s the only one asking questions? ????
— Protect Mueller (@tolson9201) November 16, 2018 [5]
Reminder Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a fake, doctored video falsely showing @Acosta [2] of touching an intern. It never happened. They know it didnt happen. Still released it to lie and sow confusion, like dictatorships. Kellyanne Conway doubled down on it. Don't forget.
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) November 16, 2018 [6]
Sarah Sanders needs to explain to the American people why she tweeted out a doctored video to justify revoking Acosta’s press pass, but made no mention of it in the legal court filings.
— Shannon (@ShannonAlgarin) November 16, 2018 [7]
Jim Acosta to Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the next White House press briefing. pic.twitter.com/3UmufodMOk [8]
— Mary Brady (@maryfairlight) November 16, 2018 [9]
Jim Acosta turning up at @PressSec [1]’s next press briefing like pic.twitter.com/8iWua6pd18 [10]
— Randy Rainbow (@RandyRainbow) November 16, 2018 [11]