Federal Judge Orders White House to Restore Access for CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from barring journalists from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from White House grounds, ordering officials to restore the organizations’ press access.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order Thursday, September 24, directing the administration to immediately return and reinstate the journalists’ press passes. The order will remain in effect for 14 days while the lawsuit continues.
Kelly found that the news organizations were likely to succeed in showing that their credentials had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. The judge said the outlets did not receive a meaningful opportunity to challenge the decision before losing access.
President Donald Trump announced the ban on September 18 after criticizing the organizations’ reporting. Justice Department attorneys later argued that the restrictions were connected to national-security concerns and that White House access is a privilege rather than an entitlement.
Kelly rejected the administration’s national-security explanation at this stage of the case, finding that the court record did not show that restoring the journalists’ access would endanger national security. He noted that Trump originally connected the ban to what he described as negative and untruthful reporting.
The temporary ruling does not resolve the organizations’ broader First Amendment claims. The court is expected to consider additional arguments as CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO continue pursuing their lawsuit against the administration.
Photo/Source Credit: Associated Press
Comments