Volkswacht Bodensee - US judge weighing Trump's White House ban on media outlets

The three media outlets went to court after Trump on Friday ordered that they be barred as punishment for distributing what he called "fake news" and "fiction and lies."

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have asked for a temporary restraining order against the ban on the grounds it violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which upholds the right to a free press.

Journalists for the news organizations were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday and had their passes confiscated in the latest flareup of the 80-year-old Republican president's years-long assault on the mainstream US media.

The hearing before District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump, began at 3:30 pm (1930 GMT) featuring lawyers for the outlets and the government.

In a previous case involving CNN during Trump's first term, Kelly ordered the White House to temporarily restore the White House access of a CNN correspondent whose pass had been revoked.

In a court filing overnight, the Department of Justice said Trump can "control reporters' access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office."

"Access to the White House is a privilege -- not a right," it said.

In an accompanying letter to CNN, the White House Press Office accused the cable news network of "trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information."

Similar accusations were leveled against MS NOW and Politico.

The letter to CNN cited several stories about the Iran war and a story on Trump's plans to build a military bunker below the planned East Wing ballroom which allegedly "disclosed 'top-secret' construction details."

- 'Direct assault on the First Amendment' -

In their filing with the court, CNN, MS NOW and Politico said the access ban "could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles."

In a rare move, the top five US broadcasters said on Monday that they were halting pool coverage of the White House -- where a broadcaster films on behalf of all television outlets for the day -- in solidarity with CNN.

"The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting," ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said.

On Tuesday, Trump appeared to suggest that CNN should not be covering him outside of the White House too.

"I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn't be here," Trump told a CNN reporter covering his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly.

On Monday evening, the White House launched a streaming channel, "Trump TV," which it said would show "top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights streaming 24/7 and updated in real time."

The billionaire former reality TV star has long attacked media outlets that have aired critical coverage of his campaigns and administrations, repeatedly blasting the press as the "enemy of the people."

But the ban comes at a time when his approval ratings are at record lows, his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress in November's midterm elections, and the Iran war drags on with no end in sight.

T.Suter--VB