US Judge orders Trump to restore CNN, MS NOW, Politico access to White House
A US federal judge has ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after the three media organisations were barred from the premises.
According to a report by the DailyMail UK, US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday blocking the ban and directing the White House to reinstate the outlets’ press credentials. The order will remain in effect for 14 days while the legal battle continues.
The ruling requires the affected journalists’ White House hard-pass credentials to be immediately returned, reinstated and restored, according to the court order.
Trump had announced the ban on September 18, accusing the three outlets of repeatedly reporting what he described as “fake news”, “fiction” and “lies”. The media organisations subsequently sued the Trump administration, arguing that the restriction violated their First Amendment rights and denied them due process.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Kelly expressed concerns about the process used to revoke the journalists’ credentials. He indicated that journalists should receive notice and an opportunity to respond before their White House access is withdrawn.
The Justice Department had defended the restrictions, arguing that the outlets’ reporting on issues including the Iran war and the White House ballroom project raised national security concerns. Government lawyers also argued that access to the White House press facilities was a privilege rather than an unrestricted constitutional right.
The ban had forced journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico to work from outside the White House after their press passes were revoked or confiscated.
Trump had previously indicated that he expected Kelly to rule against his administration and said he would likely comply with an adverse ruling while reserving the right to appeal.
