Folks, I’m sipping my coffee and reading about the latest drama between the Trump administration and the media. It seems a federal judge, Tim Kelly, has ruled that the Trump administration must allow CNN, MS NOW, and Politico to access the White House while their lawsuit over the president’s press ban plays out. I mean, who didn’t see this coming? The judge said that President Donald Trump’s press ban likely violated the First Amendment, which is just a fancy way of saying the president can’t just ban people he doesn’t like from the White House.
The thing that gets me is that Trump’s own comments explaining the ban show a “likely causal link” between the media outlets’ protected First Amendment speech and his revocation of their hard passes. In other words, Trump said some things that made it sound like he was banning these outlets because he didn’t like their reporting. And let’s be real, folks, that’s not exactly a surprise. Trump has been complaining about “fake news” for years, and it’s not like he’s been subtle about it.
Now, the judge rejected the Justice Department’s claims that national security concerns motivated Trump’s ban. Because, let’s be real, there’s no evidence that Trump was actually worried about national security when he made this decision. It’s all about the president’s feelings, folks. He didn’t like the way these outlets were reporting on him, so he decided to ban them. It’s like someone taking their ball and going home because they don’t like the game.
The news organizations have argued that the ban not only affected their ability to cover the president but also had a chilling effect on other outlets. And I can see why – if the president can just ban people he doesn’t like from the White House, that sets a pretty scary precedent. I mean, what’s next? Banning people from attending press conferences because they asked a tough question?
At a hearing in the case last Thursday, Judge Kelly signaled skepticism of the dueling rationales Trump and Justice Department lawyers had provided for why the president wanted to ban the media outlets from the White House. And I don’t blame him – it’s all a bit confusing. The Justice Department is saying one thing, and Trump is saying another. It’s like they’re trying to spin this story in a million different ways.
The attorney for the media outlets, Ted Boutrous Jr., emphasized the subjective nature of the ban and how Trump made the decision himself. And that’s the thing, folks – this ban was all about Trump’s personal feelings. He didn’t like the way these outlets were reporting on him, so he decided to take action. It’s not exactly the most presidential behavior, if you know what I mean.
In the end, it looks like the Trump administration is going to appeal this decision. Because, of course they are. They can’t just let the media win, can they? But for now, it seems like CNN, MS NOW, and Politico will be allowed back into the White House. And I’m sure Trump is just thrilled about that. As I finish my coffee, I have to chuckle at the whole situation – it’s just another day in the wild world of American politics, folks.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
⚖️ ENTER THE LEGALIZER
Think the government has no idea what it's doing? Put your case before the Federal Case Terminal and find out.
