US judge blocks Trump’s White House media ban

The White House has been barred from restricting press access for CNN, MSNBC and Politico by a federal judge, considering the ban likely unconstitutional. In a major defeat for President Donald Trump in his ongoing conflict with the media, US District Judge Tim Kelly ordered the administration to restore the outlets' press passes and halt enforcement of the ban for 14 days.

The judge dismissed the government's claim that the restriction was rooted in national security concerns, stating that there was insufficient evidence to support that assertion. Trump had cited alleged inaccuracies and negativity in the outlets' reporting as the reason for the ban. The White House and the news organizations have yet to respond to the ruling.

The lawsuit was filed by CNN, MSNBC and Politico, who argued that the ban infringed upon their First Amendment rights and due process. The legal battle has taken place ahead of the November midterm elections, where Trump's Republican party aims to maintain control of Congress. The judge emphasized that journalists deserve due process before having their White House press passes revoked, citing two previous precedents from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The news organizations claimed that they were denied proper notice and an opportunity to contest the decision, calling it an unprecedented and unreasonable punishment.