Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump's White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico

A federal judge issued an order on Thursday requiring U.S. President Donald Trump to lift his ban on journalists from CNN, MSNOW, and Politico accessing the White House, according to a lawsuit filed by the news organizations contesting the ban, which was issued on September 18. District Judge Tim Kelly stated that the ban was likely unconstitutional.

Theodore Boutrous Jr., an attorney for the outlets, expressed appreciation for the court's swift action in upholding freedom of the press, due process, and the rule of law. The judge rejected the government's claim that national security concerns justified the ban, noting that the record provided no factual support for this assertion.

Kelly pointed out that Trump's initial reason for the ban was allegedly due to the outlets' reporting being inaccurate or negative. At a Wednesday hearing, Kelly referenced two prior rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which established that White House press passes can only be revoked after due process.

He also noted that the banned news outlets were not given a proper opportunity to contest the ban. Kelly's order restores a CNN journalist's access that was previously reinstated in a similar case in 2018. The ban prompted other media outlets, including DW, to suspend pooled coverage of Trump events. The Department of Justice supported the ban, arguing that access to the White House is a privilege, not an entitlement, and that the president has the authority to deny access to news organizations. The outlets, however, claimed the ban was a blatant violation of the First Amendment.