Turns out Sam Donaldson was right.
CNN has just announced their lawsuit against Trump over the revocation of Acosta’s White House credentials. They are claiming that Trump has violated Acosta’s “First Amendment rights of freedom of the press and Fifth Amendment rights to due process”. Seriously.
Here’s the announcement:
This morning, CNN filed a lawsuit against @realDonaldTrump and top aides. The White House has violated CNN and @Acosta's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press and Fifth Amendment rights to due process. Complaint: https://t.co/43oX6L8xA7 pic.twitter.com/RvJ0Cgh6oi
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 13, 2018
Statement from @BoutrousTed, attorney for CNN & @Acosta: pic.twitter.com/tFMgM1AIEZ
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 13, 2018
CNN v. Trump is a press freedom case that's about much more than a single reporter. Other news organizations could have been targeted by the Trump administration this way, and could be in the future. pic.twitter.com/nIycSniNKU
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 13, 2018
How ridiculous! Because Acosta can’t be a reporter at the White House, his First Amendment rights have been violated? C’mon.
The fact that they are claiming a violation of ‘due process’ here is just as absurd. CNN is acting as though Acosta was arrested for being a journalist or something.
CNN could easily pick someone else to be their White House reporter, but instead this is the hill they choose to die over.
I can somewhat understand them coming to Acosta’s defense, but a lawsuit is a dumb way to do it because they will lose hard in the courts.