CNN, MS NOW and Politico back at White House after court halts Trump ban

Three major news organizations—CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—re-entered the White House on Thursday following a federal judge’s temporary injunction that blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on their access. The journalists had been initially denied entry on Thursday morning when Secret Service agents confiscated their credentials. They were allowed back into the White House by early afternoon after the administration restored their disabled badges.

The situation unfolded amid a legal challenge from the three news organizations, who argued that the ban violated their First Amendment rights by targeting them for their coverage. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg Kelly issued a late-night ruling that temporarily halted the White House from enforcing the ban, granting the journalists a 14-day window for further legal proceedings.

Judge Kelly noted that the news organizations had met the high bar to prove that their access had been unjustly revoked and criticized the White House for failing to establish clear standards for when press access could be withdrawn. He dismissed the administration’s claim that the outlets’ reporting posed a national security risk, contending that the focus was on negative coverage rather than genuine national security concerns.

The three news organizations had challenged the ban in a joint lawsuit, claiming that the administration had violated their First Amendment rights by punishing them for their reporting. Their attorney, Theodore Boutrous Jr., hailed the ruling as a strong victory for press freedom, due process, and the rule of law, emphasizing that the court’s swift action vindicated these principles.

The ban, announced by Trump on Friday, labeled the outlets as "fake news" and suggested that their reporting posed a national security threat. The news organizations disputed this justification, arguing that their coverage was being singled out due to their critical stance on Trump. During an emergency hearing on Wednesday, their lawyer argued that the delay in granting access would cause irreparable harm, given the high-profile international events unfolding in Washington at the time.

The dispute prompted other major news outlets to suspend coverage of Trump’s pool events, pending further clarification. The White House’s temporary restraining order did not address the rotating media pool, which continues to be a point of contention. Following the ruling, the networks maintained their policy of withholding footage of Trump’s meetings unless assurances were provided that CNN would be included in the pool.