Incident
White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President Trump
After CNN's Jim Acosta questioned President Trump at a news conference and briefly kept hold of a microphone as an intern reached for it, the White House suspended his hard pass, the standing credential letting reporters enter the grounds; a federal judge ordered it restored a week later.123
What happened
At a November 7, 2018 White House news conference, President Trump and CNN correspondent Jim Acosta argued over Acosta's questions about immigration; when a White House intern reached to take his microphone, Acosta held onto it and briefly touched her arm. That evening, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced the suspension of Acosta's hard pass, the standing credential letting reporters enter the White House grounds, saying the White House would "never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job." CNN called the suspension "a threat to our democracy" and sued the White House on November 13, arguing the revocation violated the First Amendment, the constitutional guarantee of press freedom, and the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process. On November 16, federal judge Timothy Kelly ordered the pass restored while the case proceeded; Acosta told reporters, "Let's go back to work." The White House restored the pass permanently on November 19 rather than continue the litigation.123
What reason was given
Stated justificationPress Secretary Sarah Sanders said, "We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern." Government lawyers separately argued Acosta had no First Amendment right of access to the White House.1
What changed for reporting
CNN said the revocation was "a threat to our democracy," and other outlets, including some critical of Acosta's conduct, joined an emergency court filing warning that a president could use credential revocation to penalize unfavorable questioning.2
Timeline
2018
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | ordered | President of the United States |
| Jim Acosta | other | Correspondent, CNN |
| Sarah Sanders | enforced | White House Press Secretary |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| CNN | outlet | affected |
Sources
- White House suspends credentials for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta archived copy
- Judge orders White House to temporarily return CNN's Acosta pass archived copy
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Sarah Sanders said the White House would not tolerate a reporter placing his hands on an intern.
We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.
White House suspends credentials for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta archived copy, ABC News, 2018-11-08.Claim 235, checked 2026-09-22. - CNN said the credential revocation was an unprecedented decision harming democratic norms.
This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.
White House suspends credentials for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta archived copy, ABC News, 2018-11-08.Claim 236, checked 2026-09-22. - Acosta told reporters he was returning to work after the court ordered his pass restored.
Let's go back to work,
Judge orders White House to temporarily return CNN's Acosta pass archived copy, Al Jazeera, 2018-11-16.Claim 237, checked 2026-09-22.