US judge orders restoration of White House access for three news outlets

A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after the outlets were barred from the premises. Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the reinstatement of press credentials held by employees of the three organisations. The order will remain in effect for 14 days, or until a further court order, and cannot be immediately appealed, according to the ruling described by AFP.

Kelly found that the revocation of the outlets’ passes likely violated their constitutional due process rights. He cited the general rule that people must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the government deprives them of a constitutionally protected interest. CNN, MS NOW and Politico had filed a joint lawsuit seeking temporary relief, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment’s protection of a free press.

The outlets were barred after Trump criticised their reporting as false and misleading. The White House said the organisations had published falsehoods about national security and sensitive information. The administration argued that the president could control reporters’ access to restricted areas, including the Oval Office, and that White House access was a privilege rather than a right.

Kelly was sceptical that national security was the actual motivation for removing the hard passes, describing the stories cited by officials as routine on the record before him. The ruling follows wider support from media organisations. The White House Correspondents’ Association and nearly 50 news groups filed a brief opposing the bans, while ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said they would halt pool coverage in solidarity with CNN.

The case remains ongoing.