The Justice Department defended the ban in an overnight filing, arguing that some White House areas are nonpublic and that the three outlets had failed to meet standards of professionalism and decorum. It also asserted that “the president has found that plaintiffs have engaged in a number of reporting incidents that have threatened national security.” The administration cited coverage of the White House ballroom and the Iran war in its defense. A hearing is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday by videoconference.
The three outlets sued Monday after Trump announced the ban Sept. 18, seeking to restore their press credentials. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News declined to replace CNN’s assigned White House TV pool crew Monday, suspending shared pool coverage of presidential events. At the UN General Assembly, Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins she “should not be here” after she asked him questions about the Iran war.