Judge blocks Trump’s White House media ban, orders access to be restored

US District Judge Tim Kelly ruled on Thursday that former President Donald Trump must restore access to White House press passes for journalists from CNN, MSN and Politico. The judge dismissed the Trump administration's claim that the ban was justified by national security concerns, stating that the government's argument was unsupported by evidence.

Kelly rejected the government's assertion that the ban was necessary to protect national security, noting that the record showed no factual basis for this assertion. He also rejected the claim that the ban was intended to protect President Trump from negative reporting. The judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the outlets' press passes and blocked officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days.

The three news organizations had filed a lawsuit contesting the ban, arguing that it violated their First Amendment rights and due process rights. The lawsuit was filed just weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, in which Trump's Republican allies are seeking to retain control of Congress. The judge's ruling marks a significant setback for Trump's efforts to limit media access to the White House.