Federal Judge Orders White House to Restore CNN, MSNBC, Politico Press Passes
A federal judge blocked Trump's White House ban on three major news outlets, ordering immediate restoration of press credentials.
A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to immediately restore press credentials for employees of CNN, MSNBC and Politico, halting what critics had called an unprecedented move to restrict journalists' access to the executive branch.
Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court ordered the White House to comply at once, signaling that the credential ban raised serious legal questions that warranted emergency judicial intervention.
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The action represented a direct rebuke of the Trump administration's decision to revoke access for reporters from three of the country's most prominent national news organizations. Press access to the White House is considered a cornerstone of the First Amendment's protections for a free press, and courts have historically been reluctant to permit government officials to selectively bar journalists from official settings without due process.
The temporary restraining order does not resolve the underlying legal dispute, but it prevents the White House from enforcing the ban while litigation proceeds. Affected journalists from the three outlets are expected to regain access in the near term as the case moves forward in federal court.
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