Judge Halts Trump's White House Media Ban, Citing First Amendment Concerns

A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to reinstate White House press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, determining that the ban was likely unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order, directing the Trump administration to immediately return the outlets’ press passes.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the three news organizations after Trump announced the ban on September 18. The judge rejected the administration's assertion that the ban was necessary for national security, noting that the president himself had cited the outlets' "alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity" as the reason for the restriction.

"The record lacks factual support for defendants’ contention that the revocation of plaintiffs’ hard passes will in fact protect national security or that national security will be endangered if the court orders their passes reinstated while this litigation proceeds," Kelly wrote. He added that the White House had not provided the targeted news outlets with a meaningful opportunity to contest the revocation of their access.

In their lawsuit filed Monday, the outlets argued that the ban violated the First Amendment's protections for free speech and a free press, as well as their due process rights. They sought an immediate order to restore their White House access while the legal challenge proceeds.

Justice Department lawyers had argued that access to the White House is a privilege, not an entitlement, and that the president has the authority to suspend access for news organizations. However, Kelly pointed to two prior rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that establish journalists are entitled to due process before their press credentials can be revoked.

A coalition of press freedom groups and numerous news organizations filed a legal brief supporting the three outlets, asserting that "stripping journalists and news outlets of their rights because of perceived editorial viewpoint violates decades of Supreme Court jurisprudence." The brief included signatures from organizations such as the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reuters, The Washington Post, and Fox News.

The legal battle unfolds as Republicans, whose party holds control of Congress, campaign ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Trump's job approval ratings have been at record lows amid concerns over issues including the Iran war and inflation.