A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, days after the three news organisations were barred from the premises.
Gatekeepers News reports that US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the order on Thursday after the media organisations jointly challenged the ban in court, arguing that the decision violated their First Amendment rights and constitutional protections.
Trump had announced the ban on September 18, accusing the three outlets of repeatedly publishing what he described as “FAKE NEWS” and “FICTION and LIES” about his administration. The White House subsequently revoked the reporters’ hard-pass credentials.
In his ruling, Kelly said the revocation of the press credentials likely violated the journalists’ constitutional due-process rights because they were not given adequate notice and an opportunity to challenge the decision before losing their access. He ordered the administration to return and reinstate the affected journalists’ credentials.
The judge’s temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days while the broader legal dispute continues. Reuters reported that Kelly also rejected, at this stage, the administration’s argument that national security concerns justified the restrictions.
The White House had accused the three organisations of publishing sensitive information and reports that it said raised national-security concerns. CNN was specifically accused of reporting on the US-Iran war and on plans for a military bunker beneath a proposed East Wing ballroom. Similar allegations were made against MS NOW and Politico.
The Justice Department argued in court that the president had authority to control journalists’ access to restricted areas of the White House, maintaining that access to the premises was a privilege rather than an unrestricted right.
Kelly, however, expressed scepticism about the administration’s national-security justification, saying the evidence before the court did not establish that revoking the outlets’ press passes advanced national security.
The dispute also prompted an unusual response from major US broadcasters. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC announced that they would suspend their shared White House pool coverage in solidarity with the affected outlets, arguing that the public has an interest in receiving independent information about the government.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico initially reported that their journalists were still denied entry to the White House despite the court order, prompting them to request an urgent hearing. Later on Thursday, the reporters were allowed back into the premises.
The case adds to a series of legal disputes between the Trump administration and US media organisations over access to the White House and the limits of presidential authority over press coverage.
