Trump says judge ‘probably will’ rule against White House media ban

• President Donald Trump said he believes his ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico is justified but acknowledged the federal judge overseeing the case “probably will” rule in favor of the news organizations.
• The three outlets sued the Trump administration over the ban, citing First Amendment protections and due process. A hearing on their request for emergency relief is scheduled for Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he expects the federal judge overseeing a lawsuit brought by CNN, MS NOW and Politico to “probably” rule against his administration over its decision to bar the outlets from the White House.

Asked whether he would restore their access if the judge ruled against him, Trump said: “Probably will, because he’s not a particularly fair judge, so you never know. But I’m talking about national security. I think we have a right to clean out fake news. You know, news is fake.”

Trump appointed the judge, Timothy Kelly, who is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday over the outlets’ request for emergency relief.

Trump initially justified the ban by labeling the three organizations “fake news.” He has since expanded his explanation, arguing that their reporting poses a threat to national security.

“It’s actually dangerous, I think we’re right to clear it out,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Asked how news organizations could be dangerous, Trump pointed to their coverage of wars and accused them of making what he called “false, malicious” statements without reliable sources.

“It’s very dangerous for our country, and I won’t stand for it,” he said.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging the administration’s decision to bar their journalists from the White House grounds and remove their access to the White House press pool. The outlets argue that the administration violated their First Amendment rights and denied them due process.

Reuters reported that legal experts consulted by the news agency said the ban likely conflicts with legal restrictions on government viewpoint discrimination.

The White House has argued that access to the presidential complex is not an automatic right and that the affected outlets remain free to report on Trump and his administration from outside the White House.

The dispute has also disrupted the White House television press pool. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC joined CNN in suspending pool coverage rather than replacing the banned network for scheduled duties.

The White House Correspondents’ Association has called for the three outlets’ access to be restored, warning that excluding news orgaizations based on their coverage could establish a precedent for future administrations.