According to a new Reason column, the D.C. Circuit—the federal appellate court with jurisdiction over D.C.—has weighed in on the constitutional status of White House access. The article's title captures the central point: access to the White House is a privilege, not a right. But the piece also notes that the court has said it is unconstitutional for the government to deny access in at least some circumstances.
The column follows up on an earlier post from Friday and draws a line between the government's broad discretion to manage White House facilities and the constitutional limits that remain. If the D.C. Circuit's ruling means the government cannot exclude journalists based on viewpoint, then the White House may still control access without running afoul of those limits. The practical effect, the article suggests, is that press credentials are not guaranteed, but neither is the government free to revoke them for unconstitutional reasons.