WASHINGTON: CNN sued Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday, alleging the White House violated journalist Jim Acosta’s constitutional rights by revoking his press credentials following a heated exchange with the US president.

The row on live national television and Acosta’s resulting banishment triggered a wave of accusations that Trump is stifling the free press, and marked a sharp escalation in tensions between the president and CNN, a frequent target of his ire.

“The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta’s First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process,” the news network said in a statement that announced the lawsuit filed in a Washington federal court.

“We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process,” CNN said, warning that Acosta’s credential suspension could set precedent for future attacks on other outlets.

“If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials.” The White House had suspended Acosta’s hard pass after he sparred at a news conference with the president, who demanded that the reporter yield the microphone and called him a “rude, terrible person” when he did not immediately comply.

Acosta persisted with questions and a White House intern tried to take the microphone from the CNN journalist — an incident the Trump administration characterised as misconduct against the woman.

Hours later White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced Acosta’s hard pass had been suspended, a rare if not unprecedented move that she justified by claiming the reporter was inappropriately “placing his hands” on the intern.

Sanders then tweeted a video that she said backed up her characterisation of the incident — but analysts said the footage was sped up to make it appear that Acosta struck the intern.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2018