Judge delays ruling in CNN case against Trump

A federal district court judge on Thursday postponed his planned ruling on whether to grant CNN’s request for an order that forces the White House to reinstates Jim Acosta’s press credentials.

Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., delayed the proceeding until Friday at 10 a.m. in a court filing that was posted just hours before he was scheduled to rule Thursday afternoon. No further explanation was provided for the delay.

{mosads}CNN and their chief White House reporter sued President Trump and members of his administration last week after the White House revoked Acosta’s press credentials hours after a contentious exchange with the president during a press conference.

CNN and Acosta argue the move violated their First Amendment right to freedom of the press and Fifth Amendment right to due process. In a hearing Wednesday, an attorney for the network and Acosta argued the White House sidelined Acosta because it didn’t like the questions he was asking. 

The government, however, contends the decision was a result of Acosta’s behavior. Justice Department lawyer James Burnham accused Acosta in court Wednesday of grandstanding and refusing to surrender the microphone to another reporter.

CNN and Acosta have asked Kelly to issue a temporary restraining order that forces the administration reinstate Acosta’s access to the White House for a short period of time.