US Judge Orders White House to Reinstate Access to CNN, MS NOW, Politico

A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, temporarily blocking the administration’s ban on the three news organisations.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the order early Thursday in Washington, following a lawsuit filed by the three media outlets challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to bar their reporters from the White House.

Kelly found that the journalists’ press credentials had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. He said journalists must receive notice and an opportunity to respond before the government suspends or withdraws their White House access.

The ruling provides temporary relief while the broader legal challenge continues. CNN, MS NOW and Politico had argued that the administration’s decision violated their First Amendment rights and due process protections.

Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing the three outlets of repeatedly reporting what he described as “fake news.” The administration subsequently confiscated the journalists’ White House hard passes, preventing them from entering the complex to cover presidential activities.

During Wednesday’s court hearing, Justice Department lawyers defended the administration’s decision, arguing that the president has authority to determine access to the White House and that the outlets’ reporting had raised national security concerns.

The media organisations disputed that explanation. Their lawyer, Ted Boutrous, argued that the national security justification appeared only after the ban had been imposed and after the lawsuit was filed.

Kelly also referred to legal precedent involving restrictions on White House press access. He previously handled a 2018 case involving former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, after the Trump administration attempted to revoke Acosta’s White House press credentials.

In the latest ruling, Kelly said the administration’s arguments did not persuade him that the news organisations were unlikely to succeed with their due process claim.

The order means reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their White House access restored while the legal dispute proceeds. The ruling does not, however, resolve the broader constitutional questions raised by the outlets’ lawsuit.

The case is expected to continue as the parties contest the administration’s authority to restrict media access and the constitutional protections surrounding White House press credentials.