A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore White House press access for CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO, temporarily blocking the administration’s ban on the three news organizations.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued the temporary restraining order early Thursday after the outlets challenged the revocation of their reporters’ White House hard-pass credentials.
Kelly found that the reporters were denied what he described as “constitutionally adequate due process” before their credentials were revoked.
“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,” Kelly wrote in the ruling.
Under the order, the affected hard passes must be “immediately” returned, reinstated and restored to employees of CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO. The temporary restraining order is scheduled to remain in effect for 14 days unless the court takes further action.
The dispute began after President Donald Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO would be barred from the White House. Trump accused the outlets of publishing what he characterized as “FICTION” and “LIES” and called them “fake news.”
The news organizations subsequently sued the Trump administration, arguing that the restrictions violated their First Amendment rights and constitutional protections for the press.
The administration defended the restrictions in court, while Kelly’s questions during Wednesday’s hearing focused heavily on whether the White House had followed the required process before revoking the journalists’ credentials. The judge pointed to previous court decisions concerning White House press access and due process.
The ruling does not represent a final decision on the underlying First Amendment lawsuit. Instead, it temporarily restores access while the broader legal dispute continues.
The order also comes after other major news organizations expressed support for CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO during the dispute. The case now moves forward with the three outlets back inside the White House press operation, at least while Kelly’s temporary order remains in force.
For now, the immediate question has been answered: the reporters whose hard passes were revoked must have their White House access restored.
