One America News Network backs White House in CNN’s Jim Acosta lawsuit

One America News Network, a conservative cable network, filed court briefs Thursday siding with the White House and against fellow network CNN and its gauche chief presidential reporter, Jim Acosta.

The network said Mr. Acosta’s combative behavior toward President Trump actually hurts other reporters, and it was time he was punished.

OAN, as the network calls itself, also took aim at the White House Correspondents’ Association, which earlier in the day filed briefs backing CNN.

“Plaintiff Acosta’s history of interruptions, unnecessary and excessive consumption of time with his grandstanding, and obstructive conduct toward his colleagues should have been addressed by CNN and the WHCA some time ago,” OAN said.

Mr. Acosta had his press credentials to access the White House canceled last week after a press conference in which he verbally sparred with the president, then got into an altercation with a White House intern who came to end his questioning.

When the woman came to take the microphone from him, Mr. Acosta refused to give it back, using his hand to chop at the woman’s elbow to prevent her from controlling the microphone.

CNN sued on Tuesday, saying revoking Mr. Acosta’s credentials was a violation of First Amendment press rights, Fifth Amendment due process rights and the Administration Procedure Act, which prohibits arbitrary decision-making.

The White House called the lawsuit “grandstanding” and said CNN has neatly 50 other journalists who can cover the White House, and Mr. Acosta’s access is not critical to the cause of press freedom.

OAN said it saw things the same way.

“Plaintiff Acosta was rude to his fellow reporters, disrespectful to the president of the United States, and disruptive to our fundamental principle of a free functioning press,” the network said.

The federal judge in Washington, D.C., who is overseeing the case held a hearing on Wednesday and has signaled he may rule Friday morning.