A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House press access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, temporarily blocking a ban imposed on the three news organisations. The 14-day temporary restraining order was issued by US District Judge Timothy Kelly on September 24, while the outlets’ legal challenge proceeds.
The three organisations sued after their reporters’ White House hard passes were revoked. They argued that the administration’s action violated their constitutional rights, including due process and First Amendment protections. Judge Kelly said the outlets were likely to succeed in showing that their credentials had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process.
The administration defended the ban by arguing that the outlets had published false information and that their reporting raised national security concerns. Kelly rejected the national security justification at this stage, saying the court record lacked factual support for the claim that revoking the press passes would protect national security. He also noted that Trump’s original announcement had focused on what he described as false and negative reporting rather than national security.
The administration had cited several reports it objected to, including coverage of construction work at the White House. But the judge noted that, in most cases, the journalists who produced the cited stories did not hold the hard passes that were revoked. He also found that the government had not shown why possession of those passes was necessary for the reporting in the remaining cases.
The dispute has also affected the White House press pool. Other major television networks temporarily suspended pool duties in protest of the ban, while dozens of media organisations filed a legal brief supporting CNN, MS NOW, and Politico’s lawsuit.
The ruling does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. The 14-day order restores access while the legal proceedings continue, and the administration may seek further court action.
