A federal judge Thursday ordered President Trump to restore White House access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico, finding that the administration likely violated due process when it revoked their credentials. The ruling temporarily prevents the president from deciding who can and cannot enter the White House.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee, issued a 14-day temporary restraining order requiring the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” credentials held by employees of the three outlets. Kelly found that the companies were likely to prevail on their argument that the administration stripped their access without advance notice or an opportunity to respond.
The decision places a procedural limit on the president’s authority over access to the grounds while the lawsuit proceeds. Kelly also declined at this preliminary stage to accept the administration’s argument that national security justified the ban.
Trump announced the restrictions Friday on Truth Social. Journalists from the three organizations were denied entry Saturday, and the companies sued Monday, alleging that the administration had violated their First Amendment rights.
White House lawyers argued in a Tuesday filing that the restrictions were preliminary and that the news organizations had until Friday to contest them. They said the outlets had violated White House conduct standards through “reporting incidents” that “threatened national security and spread falsehoods.”
Kelly nevertheless ordered their access restored while the dispute moves through court. His reasoning followed his 2018 ruling reinstating CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s credentials after the White House revoked them without giving him an opportunity to challenge the decision.
Theodore J. Boutrous, an attorney representing the news organizations, welcomed Thursday’s order. “This is a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law. We greatly appreciate the court’s swift action.”
Other news organizations had reduced routine coverage of presidential events in solidarity with the excluded outlets. It was not immediately clear when normal coverage would resume, and the temporary order does not resolve the underlying lawsuit.
The case adds to a series of legal fights over the administration’s authority to restrict press access. Acosta and another reporter regained credentials through court challenges during Trump’s first term. In the current term, The Associated Press has challenged its exclusion from the press pool covering the president in locations including the Oval Office and Air Force One; that litigation remains pending.
