'White House access privilege, not right': DOJ cites national security behind Trump barring reporters

The Trump administration has told a federal court that the president can restrict reporters’ access to the White House, including on the basis of their reporting, arguing that protecting national security gives him broad authority over who can enter the complex.In a court filing late Tuesday, the Justice Department argued that “access to the White House is a privilege, not a right” and said the administration could deny journalists access to restricted presidential areas even for “viewpoint-discriminatory reasons”.The filing came hours before an emergency hearing in Washington over the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the White House hard passes of CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The three news organisations are asking the court to restore their access.The administration has argued that the journalists’ reporting on sensitive and classified information has raised national security concerns.Also read: ‘You shouldn’t be here covering me’ - Trump confronts CNN’s Kaitlan Collins at UN amid White House banWhat the DOJ is arguingThe Justice Department said the White House is a highly controlled government facility and argued that First Amendment protections do not give journalists an independent right to access it.Citing previous court rulings, the DOJ said the First Amendment does not create a right for journalists to enter the White House or obtain government information simply because they are members of the press.The filing also argued that the White House can impose standards on journalists receiving hard passes and that the president can determine whether reporters meet those standards.According to the filing, the administration considers the publication of classified or sensitive national security information a violation of the standards expected of journalists granted access to the White House.The DOJ said the government had two “compelling reasons” for restricting the journalists’ access: enforcing minimum standards of professionalism and protecting classified information.The administration also argued that the president has constitutional authority to protect information relating to national security. The filing cited a Supreme Court ruling recognising the president’s authority to classify and control access to national-security information.The DOJ further said the president had determined that reporting by the three organisations had threatened national security, including reports involving sensitive information about the White House complex.Also read: ‘Dangerous for our Country’ - Trump slams CNN, Politico, MS NOW over White House lawsuitWhy did Trump revoke the hard passes?The White House press office said in letters to CNN, MS NOW and Politico that the president had decided to revoke their hard passes because they had allegedly violated standards of professionalism and decorum.The letters accused the organisations of publishing sensitive or classified information and, in some cases, spreading what the administration described as false information about national security.For CNN, the White House cited reports including a January story about construction details of a “top-secret” bunker beneath the White House east wing and an August report that US missile-defence interceptor stocks had been significantly depleted.The letter to Politico cited, among other reports, coverage of White House plans involving Secret Service security improvements and reports about US military weapons stocks.The MS NOW letter similarly cited reports involving alleged FBI leak investigations and US military munitions.The White House has given the three organisations until Friday to contest the decision and the factual basis cited in the letters.Also read: 'Will protect our 1st amendment right' - CNN, MS NOW & Politico to sue Trump admin over White House banPress groups seek immediate restoration of accessCNN, MS NOW and Politico have challenged the restrictions in federal court, arguing that the administration is retaliating against them because of their reporting.The dispute has already affected White House coverage, with major television networks, National Public Radio and White House photographers suspending or reducing live coverage in response to the restrictions, according to CNN.The federal court in Washington has previously intervened when administrations sought to restrict journalists’ White House access. The current case is therefore shaping up as a major test of how far presidential control over the White House extends when it comes into conflict with press freedom and due process protections.The emergency hearing before US district judge Timothy Kelly is expected to determine whether the three organisations will regain access while the broader legal fight continues.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.