US judge blocks Trump's media ban, asks him to restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW, Politico journalists
US district judge Timothy Kelly issued the order on Thursday in a lawsuit brought by the three media organisations after the White House revoked their access.
A US federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump's administration to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The ban on the three news organisations was likely unconstitutional, the judge ruled, as per Reuters.
US district judge Timothy Kelly issued the order on Thursday in a lawsuit brought by the three media organisations after the White House revoked their access. The outlets said that the decision violated their First Amendment protections and their right to due process.
The ruling comes days after Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. Trump had accused the organisations of publishing what he described as "FICTION and LIES" about his administration.
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Why Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico
Trump announced the ban on 18 September. He said the three outlets should not be allowed to "constantly write or report FICTION and LIES" while covering his presidency.
Their journalists were subsequently denied entry to the White House and their press credentials were deactivated.
The Trump administration later justified the decision in court and said that the outlets violated standards of professionalism and decorum and published sensitive or classified information.
The US justice department also invoked national security concerns and said that access to the White House was a privilege rather than a constitutional right.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico rubbished the reasoning and said that the ban was retaliation over their reporting. They claimed it violated their First Amendment rights.
Judge questioned White House process
During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Kelly appeared sceptical of the administration's position, CBS reported. He questioned whether the White House followed the required process before revoking journalists' credentials.
The judge pointed to previous cases establishing that journalists are entitled to notice and an opportunity to challenge the withdrawal of their White House access. The White House sent letters explaining its objections only after the journalists' credentials had already been revoked.
Kelly was appointed to the federal bench by Trump during his first term. In 2018, Kelly ordered the White House to restore CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press credentials after the administration revoked them following a confrontation with Trump.
