Jennings: Trump ‘unlikely to prevail in court’ on press ban, has ‘less reach’

Scott Jennings said Monday that President Trump’s decision to ban MS NOW, CNN and Politico from the White House is “unlikely to prevail in court” after the three outlets announced they will mount a legal challenge .

“It seems to me the net result of this has been he has less reach and his message is not going to get out as much,” Jennings said on CNN’s “Newsnight.”

“If this sort of becomes the way it is, he will be seen and heard by fewer people, which I think is actually a net negative since he’s his own best spokesperson and his own best press secretary,” he continued, adding that the president’s exchanges with journalists in the Oval Office “works to his advantage.”

Jennings has been floated as a top contender to replace former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down from the role at the end of August.

The conservative political commentator previously served as a special assistant to former President Bush and as an adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). As a CNN contributor, Jennings has frequently defended Trump’s actions during his second term during his on-air appearances.

After Trump’s announced ban, TV networks pulled out of the White House press pool in solidarity. The presidential pool, which consists of five major networks, is responsible for recording and dispersing video footage from the president’s events for general news coverage use.

Pool members Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN said in a rare joint statement that “the public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government.”

“No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” they added.

At a ribbon cutting event aired by Newsmax on Monday, Trump stood in front of a group of construction workers and spoke to the camera. However, the president’s comments were not audible because the pool was not there to capture audio at the event.

The president defended his ban on Monday morning, denying in a Truth Social post that the move amounted to an “assault on the Free Press.”

“It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America,” he wrote. “It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”

It is unclear what prompted the president to institute this ban.