Fox News backs CNN in lawsuit against Trump, wants Acosta's access reinstated
Fox News backs CNN in lawsuit against Trump, wants Acosta's access reinstated
Dylan Stableford 51 minutes ago
Yahoo News photo Illustration; photos: AP, Getty Images
The head of Fox News said on Wednesday that the cable news network is joining more than a dozen other media outlets in supporting rival CNN in its lawsuit against President Trump over the White House’s decision to revoke access for correspondent Jim Acosta.
“Fox News supports CNN in its legal effort to regain its White House reporter’s press credential,” Fox News President Jay Wallace said in a statement. “Secret Service passes for working White House journalists should never be weaponized. While we don’t condone the growing antagonistic tone by both the President and the press at recent media avails, we do support a free press, access and open exchanges for the American people.”
In its complaint, filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, CNN argued that the revocation of Acosta’s access was “the culmination of years of hostility by President Trump against CNN and Acosta” based on the media outlet’s reporting and “an unabashed attempt to censor the press and exclude reporters from the White House who challenge and dispute the President’s point of view.”
In response, the Justice Department argued in a court filing that Trump has “broad discretion to regulate access to the White House for journalists.”
Wallace said Fox News intended to file a formal brief in support of CNN with the court ahead of an afternoon hearing.
During a press conference at White House last week , Trump berated Acosta when he challenged the president’s assertion that a caravan of Central American migrants making its way on foot through Mexico to the U.S. border represented an “invasion.”
Acosta tried to ask a follow-up question as a White House intern tried to grab his microphone but was told by Trump, “That’s enough.”
Trump has heated exchange with CNN, NBC journalists at press conference
Following a question about his characterization of the migrant caravan, President Trump engaged in a heated exchange with CNN’s Jim Acosta, saying, “CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person.” The verbal sparring continued into the next question from NBC’s Peter Alexander.
“CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them,” Trump added. “You are are a rude, terrible person.”
The White House later released a statement saying it was suspending Acosta’s hard pass, which provides expedited access to the White House grounds.
“President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his administration,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable.”
Sanders then shared a doctored video that she claimed “clearly documented” the incident. But the deceptively edited video, first posted by a YouTube user known for his conspiratorial videos, was sped up to make Acosta appear aggressive.
Speaking to reporters on Friday morning, Trump himself suggested the move had less to do with Acosta’s contact with the intern and more to do with the volume of his voice.
“He’s got a loud voice,” Trump said, adding, “You have to treat the White House of the office of the president with great respect.”
Star Fox anchor Sean Hannity isn’t on board with his network president either, denouncing Acosta last week as a “ far-left, grandstanding, sycophant left-winger .”
But to CNN’s White House press corps, the issue is bigger than Acosta.
“We can’t have a president acting like dictators do all over the world — to silence reporters that they don’t like or reporters who say things or dig too deeply or expose the president too much,” Ted Olson, the attorney representing CNN in its lawsuit, said Tuesday. “The president wants to silence people like that. He cannot do that under the First Amendment.”
But to CNN’s White House press corps, the issue is bigger than Acosta.
“We can’t have a president acting like dictators do all over the world — to silence reporters that they don’t like or reporters who say things or dig too deeply or expose the president too much,” Ted Olson, the attorney representing CNN in its lawsuit, said Tuesday. “The president wants to silence people like that. He cannot do that under the First Amendment.”
Her ability to lie with ease is simply breathtaking.
I just had to point that out. Back to the subject. I. Am. Amazed. Fox is backing CNN???? What's next Breitbart holding hands with Daily Kos?
Yep She may be around a while.
We were just comparing her to Baghdad Bob. Remember him?
It does make one wonder just how much these advocates are mislead, loyal and indifferent to the problems of who and what they advocate so much for that were they actually see straight thru the BS or not acknowledge it enough to affect their ability to say within what they know themselves reality to be. or do they know and not care if they say non truths ?
In other words are they "brainwashed" stupid, mislead or just doing whatever they can to advance themselves in some way as well as who they are lying for ?
In other words... losers !
I once had an employer tell me to lie to a customer to save him time and money on the job. I told him NO. I also told him "If you do not want me to lie to you, do not ask me to lie to others for you."
He never asked me to lie again.
Smart man. Cause I can be good at it if I want to and I kept track of my own hours on his jobs.
lol
It has to be exhausting lying all the time! How the hell does one remember what one said yesterday, the day before that, or last week?
She has to have a staff that attempts to keep track of all her lies.
Does it really matter if some of her lies contradict some of her other lies? People who are determined to believe her will eat it up, anyway.
That has to be a full time job for at least 3 people
Sarah is swinging for the fences for Trump since she will never work again.
These are olde Sarah's salad days as Official Spokesmodel for Trumpism...
She might be able to get a job at the Heritage Foundation, some far-right religious org. or as a commentator for Fox News. She and Kelly-Anne Conjob are both DOA outside of far-right conservative circles.
Nah, Fox knows that the next POTUS will probably be a Democrat after Trump's approval ratings and pending Mueller report. They don't want it to become policy for the Whitehouse to be able to throw out reporters they don't like. This move is purely in their own defense.
Fox knows that if they don't speak up now, they'll be the ones getting booted from the room come the next Democrat administration if this precedent is allowed to stand. It proves they are actually far smarter than their viewers.
That is the liberal/democrat/progressive way. Got to get even regardless of what is happening. That is why they have been chomping at the bit to find some illegal act by Trump. They have been trying to get even for Clinton's impeachment for years. Many of them act more like 6 year olds than most six year olds .
What? Kicking out reporters they don't like? Haven't you been trying to justify exactly that by Trump?
removed for context
I guess that means the conservative way is to stab you in the back then look at you with puppy dog eyes and crocodile tears saying "Did I do that?"...
“If (Obama) was for it, we had to be against it, (McConnell) wanted everyone to hold the fort. All he cared about was making sure Obama could never have a clean victory.” ...Obstruct for 6 years straight, then lose power and start to whine about your opponent even suggesting they might obstruct. Holding a Presidents nominee for supreme court for an entire YEAR and now cheering a liberal journalists banishment, but any suggestion that it sets precedent and it's "Why I never! How could they even suggest such a thing? I guess they've got to get even regardless of whats happening...".
Obama already tried that. CNN backed Fox.
Fox News Backs CNN
Perhaps.. Just perhaps.. Someday trump may unite America.... against him.
I'm not holing my breath but then again I never underestimate trump.
Let trump be trump !! 24/7/365 !!!
Lol .... apparently Fox news is now good ...... but only when it agrees with CNN.
Hilarious!
Don't worry, they still have Sean Hannity to balance them out
True, too bad the Clinton News Network can't say the same thing. Their liberal bias is so prolific its like the fat kid sitting on a tetter-totter. No one is moving that fat kid up to a remotely balanced position. He's stuck .... absolutely stuck on the ground ....
Even a broken watch is right twice a day.
True. Like when CNN supported Fox when Obama tried to suppress their rights.
Which fox reporter was it that Obama kicked out of the WH? Oh, none. Thanks for playing.
Thanks for lying!
Attempt is the operative word in that article.
So true ..... so please, let me know what time of day and night that is for CNN and i'll be sure to be watching
Spiiiin....
No spin. No fox reporter was ever banned from the White House. You can talk intent all you want, I will deal in facts.
Yep, you keep spinning....attempt/attempted/attempting is NOT actually banning.
Not only that, the situations were completely different. Apples and oranges. On one side is an already very limited interview, on the other is an official press briefing.
You had no facts. You had spin. Obama tried to ice Fox. End of story.
Bullshit.
Not bullshit. One was BANNED....one was ATTEMPTED to be banned but was NOT banned...see the difference. Keep spinning
YOU are the one spinning. Obama didn't ban fox, or anyone FROM fox. THAT'S a FACT.
So attempted murder is cool with you? Liberal values on display...
Alternative facts....keep spinning.
is attempting to eat breakfast the same as eating breakfast ?
Fox news still sucks horse ass, just because they have no choice but to back CNN doesn't improve their image in the slightest in my mind. This isn't some kind of moral stand or trying to do the right thing based on principle, it is them looking out for their own best interests.
Thank god for Fox News!
Lest all we would get is the typical left wing crackpottery being pushed by the rest of the mass media. Poor, fluffy little snowflakes have trouble with anything that doesn’t goosestep in exact unison with their progressive, liberally biased nonsense.
No one gives a shit about their delicate sensibilities except for them. Deal with it.
Lol whatever, I don't watch any cable news so jerk yourself off over Fox all you like.
I can say the exact same thing about conservatives.
Kinda how I don't give a fuck about you or your delicate [sensibilities deleted]
Sean Hannity fainted, but he did grab his pearls before he hit the floor.
They kinda have to.
Too funny that the courts basically said you need to make rules before you take his pass again and most of the left sees this as some sort of win.