White House staff threaten to take Jim Acosta's press pass away again

CNN has asked for an emergency court hearing after being told White House staff plan to revoke correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass again at the end of November.

This comes just days after it was ordered the US administration was ordered to reinstate it with immediate effect.

The senior journalist's accreditation was taken away shortly after Mr Acosta and President Donald Trump clashed at a press conference.

A letter sent to Mr Acosta, signed off by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, said: “We are writing to give you formal notice that we have made a preliminary decision to suspend your hard pass due to your conduct at the President’s November 7, 2018 press conference.”

President Trump was said to be aware of this decision and agreed with it.

It then went on to say that though there was no “written code of conduct” for Mr Trump’s news conferences, they felt there were unspoken rules which applied.

This etiquette including journalists asking just one question then passing on the microphone to another attendee upon it being answered, they wrote.

“On November 7, 2018 you failed to abide by these basic, widely understood practises,” the letter said.

It said that “of course” he would continue to have access while the judge’s temporary restraining order remained in place.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly, hearing CNN's lawsuit challenging the revocation, ordered Mr Acosta be given access in a temporary order last 14 days.

Therefore, based on the letter the journalist would not be allowed as of the end of the month.

A statement from CNN said: “The White House is continuing to violate the First and Fifth amendments of the Constitution. These actions threaten all journalists and news organizations. Jim Acosta and CNN will continue to report the news about the White House and the President.”

The broadcaster has filed for an injunction to be imposed to protect Mr Acosta’s access to the White House, requesting a hearing on this for Monday, November 26.

Lawyers on behalf of the network and Mr Acosta replied to the letter stating there were not a set of unspoken codes of conduct and called the response “disappointing”.

Mr Acosta, who is CNN's chief White House correspondent, was barred after he and President Trump clashed after the US midterm elections.

Mr Trump called him a “rude, terrible person" as he persisted questioning him.

At which point an intern tried to take the microphone from Mr Acosta, adding further to the controversy with the White House taking umbrage over him trying to retain it.

White House staff said the longstanding journalist put his hands on the intern as he tried to and indicated their annoyance at this.