US judge orders White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW, Politico

A United States federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to temporarily restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the order on Thursday in response to a lawsuit filed by the three news organisations after their journalists were barred from the White House grounds.

Kelly found that the revocation of their press credentials likely violated constitutional due-process protections because the journalists were not given adequate notice or an opportunity to challenge the decision before losing access.

Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing the three outlets of publishing what he described as false or misleading coverage.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently filed a joint lawsuit, arguing that they were being punished because the administration objected to their reporting and that the restrictions violated First Amendment protections.

The Justice Department had defended the administration’s decision, arguing that the President has authority over access to restricted White House areas.

The outlets, however, maintained that once the White House generally grants journalists access, the government cannot selectively withdraw credentials because it disagrees with their coverage.

Kelly’s latest order requires the administration to restore the journalists’ access while the legal dispute continues.

The ruling does not represent a final judgment on every issue raised in the lawsuit