A federal court hearing commenced on Wednesday concerning President Donald Trump’s decision to bar three major news organizations from the White House. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly is currently reviewing a lawsuit filed by MS NOW, CNN, and Politico, who are seeking a court order to restore their press credentials and prevent the ban from continuing.
The Justice Department submitted a filing late Tuesday night arguing that the president acted within his legal authority to revoke access based on national security grounds. However, this rationale was not cited by the White House when Trump originally announced the restrictions last Friday.
Trump stated at the time that the outlets were banned due to “cumulative” reporting he characterized as containing “fake news,” “fiction,” and “lies.” The prohibition took effect on Saturday, with the Secret Service confiscating the access passes of journalists from the three networks upon their arrival at the presidential residence.
Following the revocation, the three media companies filed a joint lawsuit against the president on Monday. The case has drawn significant attention because Judge Kelly, who was appointed to the bench during Trump’s first term, previously ruled in 2018 against the White House. In that instance, he ordered the reinstatement of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s credentials after they were revoked following a public dispute with the president.
Judge Kelly has the authority to issue a ruling at any time. The hearing was conducted via teleconference, marking a critical legal challenge to the administration’s control over media access to the executive branch.
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