A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, ordering officials to immediately restore the outlets’ press access. The 14-day temporary restraining order was issued by US District Judge Timothy Kelly as the court considers the broader legal challenge.
The three media organisations had sued after President Donald Trump announced on September 18 that their journalists would be excluded from the White House. The outlets argued that the decision was linked to their coverage of his administration and violated constitutional protections, including the First Amendment and due-process rights.
During a hearing on Wednesday, Kelly questioned whether the administration had followed the required process before revoking journalists’ credentials. Earlier court rulings have established that journalists must generally receive notice and an opportunity to respond before their White House access is withdrawn.
The administration argued that access to the White House is a privilege and defended the president’s authority to control access. Government lawyers also cited national security concerns in defending the restrictions. The outlets disputed that justification and maintained that the ban was connected to their reporting.
Kelly’s temporary order requires the affected journalists’ credentials to be reinstated while the case proceeds. The ruling does not resolve the underlying constitutional dispute, which the court will continue examining.
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