Following a court order, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Friday that the Trump administration would be ‘temporarily’ reinstating CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials.
While the decision was celebrated by CNN and Acosta as a judicial victory, it may be Sanders and President Trump who may have really won.
In the court ruling, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the White House violated Acosta’s right to a due process as they pulled his media pass and denied Acosta an option to repeal his revocation. Subsequently, the judge said the White House must immediately restore Acosta’s press credentials and adhere to the rules and order the White House had in place.
Sanders complied with a pretty major catch: she and Trump would be taking a new look at these “rules and processes,” the Washington Examiner reports.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday the White House will “temporarily reinstate” CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press badge after a U.S. district judge ruled the White House suspended it illegally.
But Sanders also said the White House would set up new rules to ensure “orderly” press conferences in the future to avoid disputes like the one that prompted it to take Acosta’s pass away.
“There must be decorum at the White House,” Sanders said in a statement.
“Today, the court made clear that there is no absolute First Amendment right to access the White House. In response to the court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporter’s hard pass. We will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future,” the press secretary continued.
Trump similarly said his administration was looking into “writing up rules and regulations” to help produce a more orderly and cooperative press corps.
The president added: “We have to practice decorum. We want total freedom of the press… we’re setting up a certain standard which is what the court is requesting.”
As the Hill reports, Sanders also said if Acosta cannot act in a respectful manner towards the press team then CNN should send someone else to cover the White House:
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said late Friday that her team is working on establishing “standard practices” for reporters for future press briefings, adding that “if certain reporters like [CNN’s] Jim Acosta can’t be adults, then CNN needs to send somebody in there who can be.”
“We’ll work with our team on that and certainly moving into Thanksgiving holiday we’ll see how long that process takes, but I think there are some just standard practices,” Sanders said on Fox News.
“I think the very basic minimum is that if certain reporters like Jim Acosta can’t be adults, then CNN needs to send somebody in there who can be,” she added.
