A federal judge has issued an order requiring the White House to immediately restore press credentials for reporters from CNN, MS Now, and Politico, effectively lifting President Donald Trump’s ban on the outlets. Following the ruling, the White House began allowing journalists from these organizations back into the press corps midday on Thursday.
The decision came after a brief standoff in which Secret Service officers initially prevented some reporters from the banned outlets from entering the White House grounds, despite the court’s directive. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, ordered the defendants to respond to a new filing notifying the court of their failure to comply with the temporary restraining order.
White House Director of Operations submitted a declaration to Kelly confirming that press passes had been restored to the affected outlets. By that time, journalists from the three media organizations had reported being admitted back to the White House.
Judge Kelly issued the 14-day restraining order late Wednesday, directing the executive branch to reinstate access immediately. He ruled that the three outlets demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of their case, particularly regarding a Fifth Amendment due process claim.
The block on the three outlets began on Saturday, one day after Trump announced the restriction. The president stated at the time that the ban was due to “cumulative stories” he characterized as lies about him and his administration. In their civil complaint, the outlets argued that Trump’s statements confirmed they were being targeted for their reporting, constituting a violation of their First Amendment rights.
In his ruling, Kelly noted that the ban appeared to clearly contravene two prior federal appeals court decisions. Those precedents mandate that journalists receive advance notice and an opportunity to be heard before their White House press passes are revoked. Kelly stated he was bound to follow the rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
I hope this sets a strong precedent so no president can revoke credentials without due process.
Politico getting banned over their ‘cumulative stories’ is just pure political targeting disguised as security concerns.
This highlights why judicial independence matters. Without courts checking executive power, press freedom would be completely erased.
I am shocked they did not comply immediately. Did the Secret Service really need to physically block these reporters?
Finally! It is absurd that a judge appointed by the same administration had to undo this ridiculous ban.