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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, finding that the outlets are likely to succeed in their claim that their press credentials were revoked without constitutionally adequate due process.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring administration officials to immediately reinstate the White House hard-pass credentials held by employees of the three news organisations. The order will remain in effect for 14 days unless the court orders otherwise.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW and Politico after President Donald Trump announced on September 18 that the outlets would be barred from the White House. The organisations sued the administration in federal court, alleging violations of their First Amendment rights and due process protections.
During a hearing on Wednesday, September 24, Kelly pointed to previous court decisions establishing that journalists must generally receive notice and an opportunity to respond before their White House press credentials are suspended or revoked.
The judge concluded that the administration had not provided the outlets with adequate due process before withdrawing their credentials. He also questioned the government's national security justification, writing that there was little evidence showing the revocations had initially been motivated by national security concerns.
Trump had accused the three organisations of publishing what he described as “FICTION and LIES,” while administration lawyers argued that their reporting presented national security concerns. The Justice Department defended the restrictions in court, arguing that White House access is a privilege rather than an entitlement and that the president has broad authority over access to the complex.
Lawyers for the news organisations disputed that position, arguing that the government could not withdraw established press access because of disagreement with an outlet’s reporting or editorial viewpoint. A coalition of press freedom organisationsand dozens of news outlets also backed CNN, MS NOW and Politico in the dispute. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and about 50 news organisations filed a brief supporting the plaintiffs.
Kelly’s temporary order does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. Instead, it restores the outlets’ access while the court continues considering their broader constitutional challenge to the administration’s decision. The ruling requires the affected credentials to be reinstated immediately and prevents enforcement of the ban during the 14-day period, unless the court issues a further order.
