CNN and Jim Acosta were taking a victory lap on live TV after US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump, granted the network’s request to re-instate the grandstanding reporter’s press pass. But, the judge also made sure President Trump had a new way to make Acosta’s time at the White House a living hell. And the president just made that clear to the controversial reporter. Don’t miss this.
Well, at first the leftists who hate President Donald Trump and love Jim Acosta were celebrating. And for a moment right after Judge Kelly’s ruling, it appeared as if the egotistical Acosta had won. He was videoed right outside the courthouse in dramatic fashion, saying, “Let’s get back to work!”
But, what CNN and Jim Acosta didn’t realize right away is that the White House is really the winner. Judge Kelly said that the White House was within its rights to ignore Acosta and never call on him, and they could refuse to grant him interviews.
In other words, Acosta would be nothing more than a spectator.
Mommas don't let your sons grow up to be @Acosta. pic.twitter.com/ZRXB4cUPEJ
— Conservative Review (@CR) November 16, 2018
“I want to emphasize the very limited nature of this ruling,” Judge Kelly said, The Hill reported. It is limited because the decision is only temporary. Judge Kelly did not rule whether or not Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated.
It is not a victory for Acosta. It is a timeout, the type you give to a child who is having a tantrum, which adequately describes Acosta.
The Hill reports, “The White House revoked Acosta’s pass last week after a contentious exchange with Trump during a televised press conference the day after the midterm elections. The cable network argued that the Trump administration’s move violated the First Amendment rights of both CNN and Acosta.”
Judge Kelly did not rule the White House violated Acosta’s First Amendment rights. Instead, Judge Kelly said it’s possible Acosta’s Fifth Amendment right to “due process” was denied, meaning the White House should have given Acosta warnings that his behavior would lead to being banned from the press conferences.
CNN and Acosta argued that the president revoked the credentials because he didn’t like the questions Acosta was asking. The government countered that Acosta’s credentials were revoked for grandstanding and refusing to surrender the microphone to a White House intern so that another reporter could ask a question.
In the end, this could get a lot uglier for Acosta. As we previously stated, he is allowed to be at the press conferences, but he has no right to ask questions. Yes, they can just ignore him. Then, there’s President Trump who just weighed in on the Acosta matter.
Deadline reports, “In an interview with Fox News’s Chris Wallace conducted shortly after a federal judge ruled the White House had to return Jim Acosta’s press badge, Per Trump-appointed federal judge Timothy Kelly, ‘we have to create rules and regulations for conduct, etc., etc.’ Trump explained.
“We’re doing that; we’re going to write them up right now. It’s not a big deal and if he misbehaves we throw him out or we’ll stop the news conference.”
Wallace wondered what are Donald Trump’s Rules of Decorum.
“You know, you can’t keep asking questions,” Trump said. “We had a lot of reporters in that room, many many reporters in that room and they were unable to ask questions because this guy gets up and starts, you know, doing what he’s supposed to be doing for him and for CNN and just shouting out questions and making statements too. But I will say this, look, nobody believes in the First Amendment more than I do and if I think somebody is acting out of sorts I will leave. I will say, ‘Thank you very much, everybody, I appreciate you coming,’ and I’ll leave.”
So here’s the bottom line. The White House is controlled by President Trump. Now that Judge Kelly is recommending that rules for decorum be outlined by the White House communications team, you can bet they will set them up with Acosta in mind.
And just like the president says, if crybaby Acosta or any other combative reporter steps one iota out of line, then they get booted. I imagine if they get booted over three times, then they can be permanently banned.
So, Jim Acosta and CNN may think they have won, but all they have done is pissed off the leader of the free world. CNN and Jim Acosta need President Trump, he doesn’t need them. This won’t end well for the grandstanding Acosta or his fake news network.
