Hold Trump Accountable for Defying Court Orders on Press Freedom

Trump is openly defying a federal court order and you need to act. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued an order blocking the White House from banning CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from press access — and Trump barred CNN from Air Force One anyway, twice in one week. That is not a policy dispute. That is contempt for the rule of law. Attorney Theodore Boutrous called it "a blatant violation of the First Amendment and due process." He's right. When the president decides which journalists can cover him on official trips, he is not just punishing outlets he dislikes — he is controlling what the public sees. CNN was barred from covering Trump's trips to Tennessee, Texas, and Oklahoma, and from the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. This is a pattern, not a mistake. Congress has oversight authority for a reason. Use it. Demand a public accounting of how the White House is implementing press access decisions and make clear there are consequences for flouting court orders. The First Amendment does not have a carve-out for presidents who find coverage inconvenient.