(CNN) The Justice Department asked a federal court of appeals on Friday to reconsider a case where President Donald Trump was told he couldn't legally block Twitter users from seeing his tweets.

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet said if it would rehear the case. The request comes following a three-judge appellate panel having decided in July that Trump blocking users on Twitter from following or interacting with his account handle @realDonaldTrump was unconstitutional.

The Justice Department, which has represented Trump in the lawsuit, called the matter one of "exceptional importance." The department maintains that Trump's Twitter account is his personal account and will remain his handle after he leaves office.

"The importance of en banc review here is underscored because the panel's novel and mistaken First Amendment reasoning is being applied not just to any public official, but to the President of United States," the department wrote in Friday's petition. "Accordingly, en banc rehearing should be granted."

The appeals court previously ruled that the handle is a public forum because it is sometimes controlled by government officials or used for official government business.

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