Trump’s UN Swipe at CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Becomes Evidence in Press Ban Lawsuit

President Donald Trump’s swipe at CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins at the United Nations on Tuesday has been added to the court record in the legal battle over his media ban, turning the president’s clash with the journalist into evidence in its case against his administration.

Trump spotted Collins among reporters at the United Nations on Tuesday, when he arrived to deliver an address before the General Assembly, and immediately objected to CNN’s presence, days after barring the network, along with MS NOW and Politico, from White House grounds.

“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn’t be here!” Trump snapped.

Collins replied: “The United Nations allowed us in, sir.”

“You should not be here covering me,” Trump continued. “You said you weren’t going to cover me, you shouldn’t be covering me.”

Lawyers for CNN, MS NOW and Politico later submitted an Axios report of Trump’s remarks as an exhibit to Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ahead of a Wednesday hearing on the outlets’ request for a temporary restraining order blocking the ban, according to MeidasTouch correspondent Scott MacFarlane.

The three organizations sued the Trump administration on Monday, arguing that stripping their journalists of White House access because of their reporting amounts to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.

Trump announced the ban on Friday while accusing the three outlets of spreading “FICTION and LIES.” He later insisted the move was not an attack on press freedom, describing a free press as “something which I cherish” while branding the targeted organizations “FAKE NEWS.”

The dispute has also disrupted the White House television pool. CNN was removed from a scheduled pool assignment, prompting the five major television networks to boycott and suspend primary pool coverage rather than replace it.

Kelly is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday afternoon.

Watch above via CNN.

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