The Trump administration must immediately reinstate the outlets’ press credentials under a temporary order blocking the ban for 14 days.
By the editorial team
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House press access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico, temporarily blocking the president’s ban on the three news organisations.
The temporary restraining order requires officials to return and reinstate the journalists’ press credentials. It will remain in force for 14 days, unless the court orders otherwise, while the legal challenge continues.
Judge Tim Kelly said the ban was likely unconstitutional and rejected the administration’s national security justification.
Kelly found no factual support for the argument that withdrawing the credentials would protect national security, or that restoring them during the proceedings would put it at risk. He also pointed to Trump’s own statements linking the decision to his dissatisfaction with the outlets’ reporting.
Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing the organisations of publishing “fiction and lies”. The outlets said their reporters’ passes were confiscated when they arrived at the White House the following morning.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently sued the president and other administration officials in federal court in Washington. They argued that their exclusion violated the First Amendment’s protections for free speech and press freedom, as well as their right to due process.
During the hearing, Kelly said existing appeals court precedents required procedural safeguards before White House credentials could be revoked. He indicated that the organisations had not been given a meaningful opportunity to challenge their exclusion.
The dispute also disrupted the White House television pool, with other participating broadcasters announcing a suspension of pool coverage in response to the ban.
The ruling provides immediate temporary relief for the three organisations. The underlying lawsuit remains unresolved, with the court still to determine the longer-term outcome of their challenge.
