In CNN Case, White House Defends Right To Curb Press Access

The White House said in a legal filing Wednesday it has "broad discretion" to restrict media access to the president, defending its right to bar CNN correspondent Jim Acosta.

The filing in a federal court came in response to a CNN lawsuit, backed by other media, claiming the decision to ban a specific journalist violates the constitutional protections of freedom of the press.

"The President and White House possess the same broad discretion to regulate access to the White House for journalists (and other members of the public) that they possess to select which journalists receive interviews, or which journalists they acknowledge at press conferences," said the brief filed ahead of a court hearing in the case.

The filing by US Justice Department lawyers argued that "the president could choose never to hold another press briefing again and cancel all press passes, without implicating due process protections