CNN, Politico and MS NOW have regained access to the White House just hours after a federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump’s ban on the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional.
The news organizations were initially barred from the White House after Trump accused them of spreading “fake news.” The White House later defended the decision by citing national security concerns.
However, Judge Timothy Kelly questioned that claim in his ruling, stating there was little evidence to support the argument that banning the outlets would protect national security.
The judge ordered that the ban be temporarily lifted and directed the immediate restoration of the outlets’ press passes.
Earlier on Thursday, CNN, Politico and MS NOW said their journalists were denied entry to the White House despite the court ruling. The media organizations subsequently sought an emergency court hearing, accusing the administration of repeatedly violating the judge’s order.
The hearing was later canceled after White House officials restored their access.
According to a court filing by the Director of White House Operations, the outlets’ press credentials and confiscated badges were returned before 10 a.m. The media organizations later confirmed they had been allowed back into the White House.
Judge Kelly stated that CNN, Politico and MS NOW were likely to succeed in proving that the White House failed to provide adequate due process before revoking their access.
He also noted that Trump did not initially mention national security when announcing the ban, weakening the administration’s defense.
The legal battle began after Trump announced last week that CNN, Politico and MS NOW would no longer have access to the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing false reports about his administration.
The media outlets responded by filing a lawsuit, arguing that the ban violated their constitutional rights and threatened press freedom.
More than 50 media organizations, including Fox News, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, later filed briefs supporting the lawsuit.
This is not the first time a U.S. administration has faced criticism over media access. In 2009, the Obama administration attempted to exclude Fox News from a press pool interview before reversing its decision following objections from other major networks.
