CNN, MS NOW and Politico back at White House, hours after judge ordered Trump to lift ban

NEW YORK — Reporters from CNN, MSNBC and Politico retraced their steps onto the White House grounds on Thursday afternoon, following a federal judge's order to reinstate their access. The development marks a pivotal moment in an intense clash between President Donald Trump and the media outlets whose reporting he deemed unfavorable.

The ongoing dispute unfolds amid a busy news cycle, as Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently in the company of Trump, and world leaders convene for the United Nations General Assembly. On Thursday, the news organizations petitioned a court for an immediate hearing to address their disrupted access to the White House grounds the previous day.

According to the filing, a Secret Service agent had forcibly taken away the journalists' credentials. Trump initially declared the ban on the outlets on Friday, criticizing them as "fake news," and later contended that their reporting posed a threat to national security. The outlets, united in their lawsuit, contended that the ban was an outright infringement on the First Amendment because it specifically targeted them.