Federal Judge Orders White House To Temporarily Restore Press Access To Jim Acosta

[Tiberius]

The 5th amendment covers the following: "No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;"

I guess the judge focused on the "liberty" and "without due process of law". The point was his press pass was taken for no good reason. That deprives him of his ability to do his job, ergo depriving him of liberty.

As I said, I think that is a fairly liberal interpretation with no regard for the spirit in which the amendment it is written.  I don't see white house press conference as a liberty, but a privilege.  As I had asked, if I was invited to the white house, and then I said or did something which then proceeded with them asking me to leave; would that really be denying me liberty as afforded by the constitution?  I also do not think that if I asked for a press pass, because I am reporting about it here, that I am being denied my liberty if I am denied that pass.  I don't see where due process (in the context of the amendment)  comes into it.   If you want to get that liberal in interpretation, then Acosta was denying that intern from doing her job, by pushing her away.

Well firstly Acosta wasn’t asked to leave, he was told to put down the mic. This was, I believe, after he’d started asking his second question. He was ultimately allowed to ask the second question. Only afterwards were his credentials taken away. It was hinted that the reasoning wasn’t that he refused to put down the mic, but that he put his hands on a female intern, which was dubious at best. Anyone watching the video can see that the intern was reaching for the mic and the contact was incidental.

Secondly, He didn’t ask Trump for a press pass, he’s had one for years. I’m not saying that denying a press pass would be unconstitutional, however taking one away for no good reason would be, which is what the judge found.

Finally, the 5th amendment has to do with actions performed by the government, Acosta is not a member of the government so even if he prevented the intern from doing her job, it’s not covered by the 5th. That’s why this forum can ban people from swearing in this thread but not violate the 1st amendment freedom of speech.