The White House announced on Thursday that access has been restored for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, following a ruling from a federal judge who deemed the ban imposed by President Donald Trump on these news outlets likely unconstitutional.
This restoration, which occurred around noon, came after several chaotic hours earlier in the day when journalists were still denied entry to the White House.
In response to the ongoing ban, the three news organizations requested an immediate hearing in front of District Judge Tim Kelly, who issued his decision overnight.
Judge Kelly, in a lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW, and Politico on Monday, suspended Trump’s ban for a period of 14 days, addressing a press freedom case that unfolded last week both in court and at the White House.
Kelly found that the revocation of the journalists’ White House credentials “likely violated their constitutional rights to due process.”
The judge, appointed by Trump in 2017 during his first presidential term, also raised doubts regarding the national security arguments put forth by the U.S. Department of Justice to justify the ban, noting that Trump himself claimed the measure was in response to what he described as false or negative media coverage.
Hours after Kelly’s order was issued, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico informed the judge that their access remained barred and requested an urgent hearing.
Politico reported that its reporter’s credentials had been confiscated, while a correspondent from MS NOW stated she was denied entry to the White House. CNN indicated that some of its staff members were also refused access.
In response, Micah Stopperich, director of White House press operations, stated in a court filing that the White House began the process of reinstating press credentials for affected reporters at 7:25 AM and that “the White House press team left the credentials at the entrance gate for members of the press to pick up around 9:55 AM.”
After receiving Stopperich’s statement, the judge denied the news organizations’ request for an urgent hearing but allowed them to inform him of any significant developments throughout the day.
