WASHINGTON: A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, temporarily blocking President Donald Trump’s ban on the three news organisations.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday after the outlets jointly challenged the removal of their press credentials in federal court. The order is set to remain in effect for 14 days.
The judge said the revocation of the journalists’ press passes likely violated their constitutional due process rights, noting that the government generally must provide notice and an opportunity to be heard before depriving individuals of a constitutionally protected interest.
READ ALSO: Trump Bars CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House Access
Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing the three outlets of reporting what he described as “fake news” and “fiction and lies”. Journalists from the organisations were subsequently denied entry to the White House and had their press credentials deactivated.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico argued that the ban violated their First Amendment rights and amounted to retaliation based on the content of their reporting.
The Trump administration has defended the restrictions, including by citing national security considerations. Kelly’s ruling requires the affected journalists’ White House access to be reinstated while the legal challenge continues.
