Trump's war on press runs into judicial hurdle; court orders WH to let journos back in

The Trump administration encountered a judicial hurdle in its war on the press when a court directed the White House to reinstate access for journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico. US District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, issued the order on Thursday, granting the three organizations access to the White House for a 14-day period while their lawsuit against the administration continues.

This decision came after President Trump initially banned the reporters, accusing them of producing "FAKE NEWS" and negative coverage. The court ruled that the ban violated the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights of the journalists, highlighting an inconvenient fact: Trump had previously emphasized the negative nature of the outlets' coverage rather than national security concerns.

The sequence of events began last Friday when Trump announced the ban, leading to swift legal action from the three news organizations. Major television networks suspended their White House video pools in solidarity with the excluded outlets, arguing for the public's right to independent information about their government. Despite Trump's harsh rhetoric against the press, including labeling them as "sleazebags" and "lunatics," the legal battle is far from over.

The order is set to remain in effect for another 14 days while the court case progresses, and both sides continue to argue their positions.