US Federal judge orders White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico

WASHINGTON, Sept 24: A US federal judge has ordered the White House to immediately restore press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that the three news organizations are likely to succeed in their legal challenge against the Trump administration.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order early Thursday, allowing the outlets to regain access to the White House while their lawsuit proceeds.

Kelly said the organizations were likely to prevail, at least on their argument that their press credentials were revoked without due process. He noted that the Trump administration did not dispute that the outlets received neither notice nor an opportunity to respond before their hard passes were revoked.

The judge also rejected the administration's argument that national security concerns justified excluding the organizations from the White House.

Kelly pointed to President Donald Trump’s own explanation for the decision, noting that when Trump announced the ban, he focused on what he described as inaccurate and negative reporting by the outlets rather than national security concerns.

Trump announced the ban on Friday, accusing the three organizations of repeatedly publishing what he called “FAKE NEWS” and warning that other media organizations could face similar treatment.

The president later characterized the move as a ban on the “free press”, saying he did not want the outlets inside the White House. Trump also said the decision was based on what he described as years of negative coverage rather than any individual report.

The three news organizations challenged the decision in court, arguing that the administration retaliated against them because of their reporting. They also argued that the policy could pressure other journalists to alter their coverage out of concern that they could face similar restrictions.

In his ruling, Kelly said the First Amendment protects the press from government action based solely on an official's disagreement with the content of its reporting.

Trump had criticized Kelly ahead of Wednesday's hearing, calling him “totally disloyal” in a social media post and indicating that his administration would appeal an unfavorable ruling.

The White House had not immediately responded to a request for comment following the judge's order.