A federal judge, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, ordered the White House to immediately restore press access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters. This ruling came after President Trump had banned the outlets from the White House last week, citing their publication of "fake news" and the Department of Justice later arguing national security risks.
The judge issued a 14-day temporary restraining order, stating that the news organizations were likely to succeed in their lawsuit against the Trump administration. Kelly, a Trump appointee, specifically noted that the White House did not dispute that the outlets "did not receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before their hard passes were revoked," indicating a violation of due process and First Amendment rights. The White House press team began restoring access shortly after the judge's order, with badges being returned to reporters by early afternoon.
Kelly's ruling also cast doubt on the administration's claims that the ban was for national security reasons, pointing out that Trump's initial announcement focused on the alleged untruthfulness of their reporting. Press freedom groups and political observers had widely condemned the ban, predicting that Kelly would rule in favor of the media organizations. The ruling is valid for 14 days, and it remains unclear if the Trump administration plans to appeal.
