Court orders Trump administration to return White House press passes to journalists from three major media outlets
A U.S. federal court has ordered President Donald Trump's administration to temporarily restore access to the White House for journalists from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW after their permanent press passes were revoked.
The decision was issued by federal judge Timothy Kelly in Washington. He granted the three media outlets' motion for a temporary restraining order as part of their lawsuit against the Trump administration, reports CNN.
The court directed White House officials to immediately return and restore the permanent accreditations of CNN, MS NOW and Politico employees. The temporary order will be in effect for 14 days, unless the court modifies it earlier, while the case continues.
Kelly preliminarily concluded that the media companies are likely to succeed in proving a due process violation. Before the passes were revoked, journalists were not given sufficient notice or an opportunity to appeal the decision.
The judge also questioned the administration's argument that the restriction was necessary for national security reasons. He noted that the case materials at the time of filing did not show that a national security threat was the primary reason for the decision.
President Donald Trump had previously explained the ban by citing dissatisfaction with the three outlets' coverage and accusing them of spreading false information. After the lawsuit began, administration representatives claimed that certain CNN, Politico, and MS NOW reports allegedly posed risks to national security.
The three media companies filed the lawsuit jointly. They argued that denying journalists access to the White House violates their constitutional rights and was related to the president's displeasure with the content of their publications.
The court has not yet issued a final ruling on the constitutionality of the ban itself. Over the next two weeks, both sides are to continue submitting their arguments and evidence, after which the court can more thoroughly consider the media companies' claims.
Earlier, Current Ukrainereported that Trump had barred CNN, Politico, and MS NOW journalists from the White House following critical coverage by those outlets.
