The Press, the Polls & the Supreme Court
Summary
Preet and Joyce Vance analyze a judge’s order forcing the Trump administration to restore press passes for CNN, MS Now, and Politico after they were revoked. They discuss the Supreme Court’s third block of Missouri’s gerrymandered map and a ruling allowing DHS to use databases to identify non-citizens on voter rolls. The hosts critique the administration’s “national security” justification for banning critical media, arguing it constitutes viewpoint discrimination and aids foreign adversaries by sowing domestic division.
Topics discussed
Episode intro: Press passes, gerrymandering, and voter rolls
Trump revokes press passes for CNN, MS Now, and Politico
Injunction won and initial restoration of access
Exclusion from State Dinner and Air Force One
Legal analysis: Rights vs. privileges and 1st Amendment
Critique of 'fake news' and national security claims
Argument that the ban aids foreign adversaries
Deconstructing the national security justification
Overclassification and the 'Dick Cheney lunch' analogy
Grafting national security onto other issues
Sponsorships and closing remarks
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