Ted Olson on CNN Lawsuit: Reporters Are Being Jailed, Intimidated and in Fact Murdered, We Can’t Allow that Step To Be Crossed Here

EXCERPT:

OLSON: “Back in 1977, there is already precedent on this, in a decision from 1977, from the U.S. Court of Appeals. What was ruled then?”
OLSON: “Well, the court ruled then that if someone was going to attempt to interfere with or take away the press credentials of someone covering the White House, there had to be an explanation, there had to be objective procedures, there had to be a fair process, and an opportunity to be heard. None of that applies here. And the reason that that is so important is that if that process doesn’t exist, a president or anybody working for a president or other public official can discriminate against any reporter on the basis of that reporter’s viewpoint or simply because the president doesn’t like that reporter. And there is plenty of evidence that President Trump does not like that reporter or the organization, CNN, for whom he works. And we cannot allow public officials to discriminate on the basis of their personal prejudice or feelings towards a reporter. Freedom must be free. The First Amendment must stand for something and it must stand for the fact that — we have a situation all over the world where reporters are being beaten, jailed, intimidated, and in fact murdered. We can’t allow that step to be crossed here.”