Media Outlets Allege White House Violated Court Order on Press Access

Media organizations on Thursday accused the White House of repeatedly violating a federal court order that had temporarily lifted a ban on their access. Employees from CNN, Politico, and MS Now reported being denied entry to the White House, with some of their press credentials being confiscated.

These actions followed a ruling early Thursday by Judge Timothy Kelly, who overturned the ban on the outlets' access, stating it likely infringed upon their constitutional due process rights. The ban had initially been implemented by President Donald Trump, who cited the outlets' reporting as "fake news." The White House later offered national security as the reason for barring them.

Lawyers for CNN, Politico, and MS Now have sought an emergency court hearing, arguing that the White House's actions constituted a "repeated violation" of the court's order. It remained unclear whether the denial of entry to some reporters was due to an administrative delay as the White House complied with the judge's directive.

The situation unfolded on a day when President Trump was scheduled to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House. The ongoing dispute was expected to affect television coverage of the event.

According to reports from the outlets themselves, CNN stated that some of its reporters, including senior White House correspondent Betsy Klein, were denied access, though a producer was permitted to enter. Politico reported that one of its journalists was barred and had their press credentials confiscated. MS NOW also reported that its White House reporter Laura Barrón-López and a producer were denied entry and had their passes taken, while another producer from the outlet was allowed access.

The White House had not issued a comment regarding the ruling or the subsequent denial of access. Lawyers for the president may pursue further legal action in response to the situation.