A US federal judge has ordered the Donald Trump administration to temporarily restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, after ruling that the outlets were likely denied adequate due process.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly directed the administration to reinstate access for the three organisations for 14 days while their legal challenge against the ban continues. The ruling came after the outlets went to court following the White House decision to bar their reporters from the premises.
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The dispute centres on the White House’s decision to revoke the organisations’ press access. The administration had defended the move by accusing the outlets of publishing false information and arguing that national security concerns justified the restrictions.
Judge Kelly, however, said the news organisations were likely to succeed in establishing that the administration had not provided adequate due process before imposing the restrictions. He also questioned the government’s national security justification, noting that Trump had not cited national security when he initially announced the ban.
The judge said the evidence presented in court did not establish that revoking the journalists’ hard passes would protect national security. He also said there was insufficient evidence to suggest that national security would be threatened if the reporters were allowed back into the White House while the case proceeds.
The administration had cited several reports published by CNN, MS NOW and Politico as part of its defence. Some of those reports concerned construction work at the White House, including plans for a new ballroom.
Kelly noted that, in most of the cases cited by the administration, the stories were written by journalists who did not themselves hold White House hard passes. In the remaining cases, he said the government had not demonstrated that the reporters’ possession of those credentials was essential to the reporting in question.
The judge also raised questions about declarations submitted by Defence Department officials in support of the restrictions. According to the ruling, those officials did not have direct knowledge of how White House journalists operate or of the specific facts involved in the dispute.
Despite the court order, questions remained about whether all reporters from the three outlets would immediately regain entry. Some journalists were reportedly turned away from White House entrances even after the ruling, while others were permitted to enter.
The legal challenge has also triggered wider tensions between the White House and news organisations. Major US television networks recently withdrew from White House pool duties in protest against the restrictions. The press pool allows media organisations to share reporting and footage from presidential events.
A group of 49 media organisations, including CBS News, The New York Times and Fox News, also filed a legal brief supporting CNN, MS NOW and Politico in their lawsuit.
The Trump administration and news organisations have been involved in several legal disputes during his second term. The president has frequently criticised media outlets over their coverage, while his administration has taken legal action against a number of news organisations.
The latest ruling is temporary and does not settle the broader legal dispute. The case will continue as the court considers the underlying arguments surrounding White House press access and the administration’s authority to restrict it.
