A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, temporarily blocking President Donald Trump’s ban on the three news organizations.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the order on September 24 after the outlets challenged their removal from the White House in federal court. Kelly said the organizations were likely to succeed in showing that the administration failed to provide the required due process before revoking their press credentials.
Judge Questions Process Behind Media Ban
The dispute began on September 18, when Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. Trump said the outlets had repeatedly published what he described as false reporting and said other media organizations could also face restrictions.
The three organizations subsequently filed a lawsuit arguing that the administration’s decision violated First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and the press, as well as constitutional due-process protections. They asked the court to restore their access while the broader legal dispute continues.
Kelly’s order requires the administration to return the journalists’ White House hard passes immediately. The temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days while the court considers the case further, meaning the decision does not constitute a final judgment on whether the underlying ban permanently violates the Constitution.
A central issue was whether the administration gave the three outlets adequate notice and an opportunity to challenge the decision before their credentials were revoked. Kelly pointed to previous rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that established due-process requirements for revoking White House press credentials.
The administration argued that the White House has authority to determine which journalists receive access and that such access is a privilege rather than an unconditional right. Justice Department lawyers also cited concerns about professionalism, reporting practices and national security in defending the restrictions.
National Security Argument Faces Court Scrutiny
Kelly expressed skepticism about the national-security rationale presented by the administration. In his ruling, he said the record did not provide sufficient factual support for the argument that revoking the outlets’ hard passes would protect national security or that restoring them during the lawsuit would create a national-security danger.
The judge also noted a difference between the administration’s later legal explanation and Trump’s initial public explanation for the ban. Trump had focused on what he described as false and negative reporting, while the administration later emphasized national-security and professionalism concerns in its court filings.
The White House subsequently sent letters to the three organizations outlining additional reasons for the credential revocations. Those letters cited alleged violations of standards of professionalism and concerns involving sensitive or classified information, while giving the outlets an opportunity to respond.
The timing of those letters became part of the due-process dispute. According to reporting on the hearing, the administration sent them after the press credentials had already been revoked and after the news organizations had filed their lawsuit, prompting questions about whether the opportunity to respond came too late.
The case also affects the broader White House press pool. CNN had been scheduled to participate in the television pool covering Trump’s movements, but its removal disrupted the arrangement. Other networks subsequently suspended the pooled coverage rather than immediately replacing CNN.
The latest ruling does not settle the broader constitutional dispute between the administration and the three outlets. It instead preserves their access for the duration of the temporary order while the court examines the legal arguments surrounding the First Amendment, due process and the government’s authority over White House press access.
The Justice Department is expected to challenge the ruling, while the three news organizations continue their lawsuit. The next stages of the case will determine whether the temporary restoration remains in place and whether the administration can ultimately defend the restrictions under constitutional and procedural standards.
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