US judge blocks Trump ban of CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House, orders him to restore access

A federal judge on Thursday ruled that President Donald Trump must lift his ban on journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from entering the White House.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by the news organizations on September 18, challenging the President’s restriction.

In writing the order, District Judge Tim Kelly stated that the ban appears to be unconstitutional.

He set a preliminary review period lasting fourteen days.

What did the judge say about the ban?

Judge Kelly rejected the executive’s argument that national‑security interests justified the prohibition. He noted that the record provides little factual basis linking the revocation of the news organizations’ privileged entry rights to an actual threat to security. Moreover, the same President had previously asserted that the primary motive was an alleged “lack of truthfulness and negativity” in their coverage.

During a Wednesday hearing, Kelly highlighted that two earlier decisions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit had held that White House press passes may only be revoked after due process has been properly applied.

He observed that the targeted outlets did not receive a genuine opportunity to contest the ban before it was implemented.

Kelly, who was appointed by President Trump in 2017, had earlier ordered a CNN journalist’s coverage permit reinstatement in a comparable 2018 case.

Implementation of the ban prompted other media entities, such as German broadcaster DW, to suspend collaborative programming covering Washington events.

Department of Justice support for ban

On Tuesday, the Justice Department submitted a filing asserting that access to the White House constitutes a privilege rather than a right, and that the President retained authority to deny such access to any organization.

Meanwhile, the affected news organizations contend they were singled out based on the content of their reporting and describe the restriction as a flagrant violation of the First Amendment, which protects freedoms of speech and the press in the United States.

Embedded video — US President Trump bans media outlets from White House

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Edited by: Sean Sinico