Judge Temporarily Lifts Trump's Media Ban on CNN, Politico, MSNow
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, mandating the reinstatement of press credentials for three news organizations after their access to the White House was revoked.
A federal judge on Thursday ordered President Donald Trump to temporarily lift his ban on CNN, MSNow, and Politico from accessing the White House. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order blocking the ban and ruled that the outlets' access must be reinstated.
The order will remain in effect for 14 days as the legal proceedings continue. The president had revoked the press credentials of journalists from the three outlets on Friday, citing their reporting as "fake news" that constituted "fiction and lies."
During the hearing, Judge Kelly expressed skepticism regarding the president's decision, noting that the White House did not provide the outlets with "constitutionally adequate due process." Journalists from the affected organizations who attempted to enter the White House over the weekend had their press passes confiscated, forcing them to report from outside the building.
Justice Department lawyers argued that the reporting by CNN, Politico, and MSNow concerning the Iran war and the White House ballroom project could pose a national security risk, thus justifying the president's action. Attorney Michael Velchik urged Kelly not to restore the reporters' passes until after Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit on Thursday, citing national security concerns.
The White House appeared prepared for a ruling in favor of the media outlets. President Trump had previously stated he would "probably" allow the banned outlets back if ordered by the courts. He also acknowledged on social media that Kelly might rule in their favor, referencing a similar ruling in 2018 concerning then-CNN anchor Jim Acosta's credentials.
Judge Kelly, who was appointed to the federal district court in Washington by President Trump in 2017, previously issued a similar order in 2018 that compelled the Trump administration to return Acosta's credentials after they were suspended following an incident during a press conference. CNN and other news organizations had sued to restore Acosta's access, but dropped the lawsuit after his credentials were reinstated.
