U.S. Justice Department Argues White House Access Is Not a Right Amid CNN Ban

The U.S. Department of Justice has argued that restrictions on certain media outlets entering the White House are a legitimate exercise of presidential authority.

In court documents submitted on the 22nd local time regarding a lawsuit filed by media outlets including CNN, Politico, and MSNBC demanding the restoration of their reporting access, the DOJ stated that "White House access is a privilege, not a right."

It went on to emphasize that the president can control restricted areas to protect national security information, stating that "at the very least, access to the Oval Office can be controlled."

The DOJ also claimed that "President Donald Trump determined that the plaintiffs were involved in multiple reporting incidents that threatened national security, and such reports raise national security concerns."

Previously on the 18th, President Trump announced through the social media platform Truth Social that CNN is "fake news" and that MSNBC is an "outlet that recently changed its name due to a lack of viewers and credibility," adding that the ban would take effect immediately.

President Trump claimed that "this is due to accumulated reports over the past two years," and that "these outlets intentionally write negative articles to undermine the standing of the Republican Party and the Republican administration."

This measure comes as President Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with mainstream media outlets critical of him and escalated tensions with the press since entering his second term.

Last year, the White House unilaterally banned the Associated Press from reporting from the Oval Office and Air Force One on the grounds that AP did not follow President Trump's directive to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the American Gulf.

(Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Kim Kihyun | Graphics by Lee Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.