3 news outlets seek extension of ban on their being blocked from White House

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have asked a federal court to keep their White House access in place for the length of their lawsuit, arguing that the administration has applied its ban erratically even after a judge ordered it paused. Their lawyers said Monday that the White House would reimpose a full ban if given the chance. The ban began Sept. 19, and a temporary restraining order from U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, which restored access, lapses Oct. 8; the filing seeks a preliminary injunction lasting until the case is decided, according to CBS News.

The 42-page filing cites the television pool as fresh evidence. CNN lost its pool role when the ban began, and ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News suspended the pool in solidarity. CNN covered Mr. Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the National Archives on Friday, but the White House kept it off Air Force One on Saturday for a trip to a Tennessee college football game. The filing says CNN got no official explanation and no primary television pooler traveled with the president.

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the administration on ABC, saying White House access is "a privilege, and not a right." Judge Kelly's ruling voiced doubt that national security was the real motive, and lead attorney Theodore J. Boutrous Jr. called the ban retaliation and viewpoint discrimination. Pool networks are reportedly weighing each new situation individually, a person with knowledge of the talks said.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News →