President Donald Trump's own words could be the thing that sinks his ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, according to a legal analyst who's tracking Thursday's critical court hearing.
On a Wednesday livestream, "Legal AF" podcast host Michael Popok pointed to a new filing from the three outlets that cites a recent Time magazine interview. In it, the filing says, Trump griped extensively that he shouldn't "be forced to bear" what he considers "constantly bad stories."
When reporters pressed him last month, Trump initially said there was no particular reason for the ban before tearing into each outlet.
"I think Donald Trump's interview with Time Magazine is going to be his undoing," Popok said, calling it the "shocking development" in the case and arguing that Trump's words are being used "to hang him in a courtroom."
The outlets sued after Trump abruptly expelled them from the White House last month. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, temporarily restored their access, and on Thursday he is set to consider a preliminary injunction that would keep them in place while the case plays out.
Popok predicted an easy win for the outlets.
"It's going to be a winner for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico for sure. No doubt about it," he said.
He also argued that the outlets will need to broaden their lawsuit. Since Kelly's order, the White House has repeatedly kept CNN off presidential trips on its scheduled pool days, and on Monday it blocked Politico from its turn as the print pool reporter. White House communications director Steven Cheung has argued that Kelly's order covers access to the White House, not the pool or the president's plane.
The administration is defending the ban in court, arguing that Trump can bar outlets he decides fall short of the "minimum requirements of professionalism."
Popok Pop Up: Shocking Developments Before Tomorrow's CNN/MSNOW/Politico Injunction Hearing! by Legal AF
A recording from Legal AF's live video
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