Playboy correspondent sues over suspension of White House credentials

Playboy White House correspondent Brian Karem has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and press secretary Stephanie Grisham, after having his credentials temporarily revoked.

What are the details?

Karem lost his daily access "hard pass" for 30 days after he traded barbs with former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka during a social media summit in the White House Rose Garden on July 11, The Hill reported.

During the altercation in the Rose Garden, Gorka at one point shouted at Karem, "You're a punk! You're not a journalist, you're a punk!" to which Karem replied, "Hey, Gorka, get a job!"

The exchange was heated, and President Trump later weighed in on Twitter, saying Gorka "Wins Big, No contest!"

On Tuesday, Karem's attorney, Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr. issued a statement, saying:

Today we filed a lawsuit against President Trump and Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham asking the federal district court in Washington, D.C. to order the immediate restoration of the press credentials of Playboy White House correspondent Brian Karem and to enjoin the ongoing violation of his First and Fifth Amendment rights. We are confident that the Administration's latest punitive and lawless action against a journalist will not stand, and we look forward to our day in court.

The same day, Karem himself took to Twitter to promote his lawsuit, and accused President Trump of wanting "to destroy the free press."

Grisham made the decision to pull Karem's hard pass last week, saying his behavior violated "widely-shared understandings and norms of media professionalism," according to Politico.

Anything else?

The situation with Karem is reminiscent of CNN White Correspondent Jim Acosta having his credentials suspended last year following a contentious press conference with President Trump. CNN sued, and the White House restored Acosta's press pass after a nearly two-week long saga.