3 US News Outlets Return to White House after Judge Orders Trump to Lift Ban

Washington, September 25 - CNN, MSNBC, and Politico regained access to the White House after being banned by President Donald Trump six days prior, following a federal judge's order restoring their press credentials. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that revoking the outlets' White House press credentials "likely violated their constitutional due process rights."

Journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico, who attempted to return early on September 25, were initially turned away by the Secret Service but were later allowed entry around midday. Other journalists, surrounding CNN's tent on the White House driveway, filmed reporter Betsy Klein as she reported live upon her return.

Judge Kelly criticized the White House's method of expelling the three news organizations, stating that the "general rule" is that "individuals must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them" of a constitutionally protected interest. Despite returning earlier in the day, CNN reported the White House denied two CNN journalists from covering Chinese leader Xi Jinping's arrival at the White House for a state dinner, as did MSNBC journalists.

President Trump had banned CNN, MSNBC, and Politico for distributing "fake news" and "fiction and lies."

The outlets filed a joint lawsuit, asking for a temporary restraining order against the ban, arguing it violated the First Amendment's protection of the free press. The Department of Justice claimed that the White House could control reporters' access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office, stating that "access to the White House is a privilege, not a right."

The White House Press Office accused CNN, MSNBC, and Politico of "trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information."

Judge Kelly, appointed by Trump during his first term, was skeptical of the White House's motives, stating that the court was "sceptical—at least on this record—that Defendants' interest in safeguarding national security is the actual motivation for, or is even advanced by, the revocation of Plaintiffs' hard passes." In a rare move, the top five US broadcasters halted pool coverage of the White House as solidarity with CNN, stating that no administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.