CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credentials have been fully restored by the White House, the network announced in a tweet on Monday. In response, CNN dropped its lawsuit against the Trump administration.
“Today the @WhiteHouse fully restored @Acosta’s press pass. As a result, our lawsuit is no longer necessary. We look forward to continuing to cover the White House,” said CNN in a terse statement Monday.
A rep for the White House did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
Today the @WhiteHouse fully restored @Acosta's press pass. As a result, our lawsuit is no longer necessary. We look forward to continuing to cover the White House.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 19, 2018
The legal fight between CNN and the White House had looked certain to go on for weeks after the White House told CNN on Sunday that it planned to revoke Acosta’s press credentials after a 14-day injunction from a federal judge, which reinstated them on Friday, expired.
In restoring Acosta’s credentials, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders laid out new “rules” in an email Monday afternoon, saying that going forward, reporters would be allowed to ask only “one question” and that follow-ups would be determined at the president’s discretion. Anyone who violates the new rules would be subjection to revocation of their press credentials.
https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1064626425364471809
Earlier this month, the White House yanked Acosta’s credentials after the CNN reporter refused to back down from a series of tough questions about the migrant caravan during an East Wing press conference.
“CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them. You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn’t be working for CNN,” Trump exploded at Acosta during the Nov. 7 press conference. “The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible. The way you treat other people are horrible. You shouldn’t treat people that way.”
By that evening, Acosta’s press pass had been suspended and CNN filed suit a short time later. The network was presumed to have a strong case and an early ruling from federal Judge Timothy Kelly — a Trump appointee — had restored Acosta’s pass for two weeks.
Acosta was pleased with the restoration of his credentials and said “let’s get back to work” in a tweet.
Thanks to everybody for their support. As I said last Friday… let's get back to work.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 19, 2018