WASHINGTON — The White House has restored access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after a federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on the three news organizations.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered the administration to immediately restore the outlets’ White House press credentials for 14 days while their lawsuit moves forward. Kelly found that the organizations were likely to succeed on their claim that revoking their credentials without adequate notice or an opportunity to respond violated their constitutional due-process rights.
Trump announced the ban last week, accusing the three organizations of reporting what he described as false information and saying their coverage posed national-security concerns. The Justice Department later cited reporting about U.S. missile stockpiles, construction of the White House ballroom and attendance at the Republican midterm convention as part of its national-security argument.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico challenged the ban in federal court, arguing that they were being excluded because of the content of their reporting and that the action violated First Amendment protections as well as their due-process rights. The White House has maintained that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right.
The dispute also affected broader White House coverage. After CNN was removed from its scheduled television pool duties, the other major television networks suspended shared pool coverage rather than replace the network. Several other news organizations also withheld photographs from some presidential events in solidarity with the barred outlets.
The journalists regained access Thursday, although some initially reported being turned away even after Kelly issued his order. The White House later said the affected credentials had been reinstated.
The case, however, is not over. Kelly has not yet ruled on the outlets’ broader First Amendment claim. The temporary order lasts 14 days, and the organizations have until Sept. 28 to request a preliminary injunction that could keep the ban blocked while the lawsuit continues.