The White House has backed down in its fight with CNN over correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass, ending a legal fight over press freedom and the US constitution that has roiled the political and media landscape.
In a letter to the network the White House laid out several new rules for journalists covering presidential press conferences, including limiting questions to one per journalist, with a follow-up at the discretion of the president or other White House officials.
“We have made a final determination in this process: your hard pass is restored,” the White House said in a new letter to Acosta, CNN reported. “Should you refuse to follow these rules in the future, we will take action in accordance with the rules set forth above. The President is aware of this decision and concurs.”
Acosta had engaged in a stand-up argument with Donald Trump at a White House press conference last month after the president tried to shut down further questions from the correspondent and Acosta insisted on asking follow-ups. The confrontation resulted in a tugging match with a White House intern who tried to take the roving microphone from the journalist as he determinedly hung on to it – all captured on live television.
The row escalated after the White House then suspended Acosta’s pass. The administration initially argued that Acosta had inappropriately made physical contact with the intern, and released a video clip of the confrontation, which turned out to have been speeded up. Now the White House says Acosta was not behaving appropriately generally and that it is within the White House’s discretion who gets a “hard pass” that allows them into the White House and grounds unescorted.
The tug-of-war between the White House and CNN over Acosta’s press pass and fierce arguments over the US constitution and a free press had previously looked set to go on this week after a court fight last week. Despite having his White House press pass, in effect, restored by a court’s restraining order last Friday the Trump administration had then warned Acosta that his credentials were set to be suspended again when that 14-day order expired, reigniting the fight.
CNN argued in a statement provided to its own senior media correspondent, Brian Stelter, that that action would threaten “all journalists and news organizations”, about which Stelter tweeted early on Monday.
“The White House is continuing to violate the First and 5th Amendments of the Constitution,” the statement declared. “These actions threaten all journalists and news organizations. Jim Acosta and CNN will continue to report the news about the White House and the President,” he wrote.
The feud is just the latest episode of a difficult relationship between Trump and the media in which he oscillates between criticizing and threatening the press and basking in its spotlight.