A federal judge has ordered the White House to immediately restore press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, handing the three news organisations an initial victory in their legal challenge to the Trump administration.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order early Thursday, allowing reporters from the outlets to return to the White House while the wider lawsuit continues.
Kelly found that the organisations were likely to succeed on at least one of their central arguments: that their White House press credentials were revoked without adequate due process. He noted that the administration did not dispute that the outlets received neither advance notice nor an opportunity to respond before their hard passes were withdrawn.
The judge also rejected the administration’s reliance on national security concerns as justification for excluding the organisations. He pointed to President Donald Trump’s own public explanation of the decision, which focused on his objections to their coverage rather than specific security concerns.
Trump announced the restrictions on Friday, accusing the three outlets of repeatedly publishing what he called “FAKE NEWS” and warning that other media organisations could face similar action.
He subsequently described his action as a ban on the “free press” and said he did not want the organisations inside the White House. Trump also linked his decision to what he characterised as years of negative reporting rather than any single article or broadcast.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico took the dispute to court, arguing that the administration had retaliated against them because of their journalism. They also warned that such restrictions could have a chilling effect by encouraging other reporters to modify their coverage out of fear of losing White House access.
In granting temporary relief, Kelly said the First Amendment protects news organisations against government action based solely on an official’s disagreement with the content of their reporting.
Trump had criticised Kelly before Wednesday’s hearing, calling him “totally disloyal” in a social media post and indicating that his administration would appeal if the ruling went against it.
The temporary order restores access while the lawsuit proceeds and does not constitute a final ruling on the broader constitutional dispute. The White House had not immediately commented following the decision.