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

A federal judge has ordered former US President Donald Trump to restore access to White House press passes for journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico. Judge Tim Kelly rejected the Trump administration's claim that the ban on the three media outlets was for national security reasons, stating the record did not back up this assertion.

The judge ordered immediate return of the press passes and blocked officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days. The news organizations, which filed the lawsuit, argue the ban violated their First Amendment rights and due process protections. The White House and the news organizations have not yet commented. The battle comes amid low job approval ratings for Trump, as well as concerns over issues such as the Iran war and inflation.

The legal case has been brought weeks ahead of the November midterm elections, where Trump's fellow Republicans aim to retain control of Congress.