Judge Orders Trump to Restore White House Access for CNN, MS Now, and Politico

A federal judge on Thursday ordered the White House to immediately restore press access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, ruling that President Donald Trump’s directive barring the three news organizations was most likely unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a 14-day temporary restraining order reinstating the outlets’ hard passes while their legal challenge proceeds.

### Legal Grounds and Due Process Violations

In his ruling, Judge Kelly wrote that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their lawsuit against the Trump administration, primarily because their credentials were revoked last week without due process. According to the court filing, the Trump administration did not dispute that the outlets received no prior notice or an opportunity to be heard before their access was terminated.

Ted Boutrous, the attorney representing the news outlets, called the decision a strong ruling that vindicated freedom of the press, due process, and the rule of law.

The White House attempted to address those due process claims in letters sent to the news outlets on Tuesday. Those letters stated that the organizations could contest the initial decision through written responses by Friday, accusing them of publishing sensitive security information and misinformation that undermined the president’s ability to safeguard national security.

### White House Motivation and Legal Arguments

Judge Kelly rejected the administration’s argument that the ban was motivated by national security concerns, noting that the White House offered little proof to support the claim. The ruling highlighted that President Trump’s public statements focused instead on the alleged lack of truthfulness and negative tone of the outlets’ reporting.

Before the Wednesday hearing, President Trump posted on social media that he expected Judge Kelly—whom he nominated to the bench during his first term—to rule against him, adding that the administration would appeal the decision. In court filings, Judge Kelly noted that temporary restraining orders are generally unappealable.

During the 14-day period of the restraining order, the court will establish a schedule for expedited briefing on a motion for a preliminary injunction. This schedule will allow both the administration and the media outlets to submit further evidence for the court’s consideration.

### Broader Context of Media Access Restrictions

The dispute follows a post published by President Trump on Truth Social on Friday, in which he announced the ban as a result of what he termed constant reporting of fake news. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office shortly after the announcement, the president stated that the policy was built on cumulative stories published over the past few years rather than a single specific report.

The outlets argued in their lawsuit that the ban was retaliatory and intended to pressure journalists into altering their reporting. Legal representatives for the news organizations maintained that the U.S. Constitution does not permit a government official to deprive the press of First Amendment rights and property interests without notice or process based on a disagreement with content.

Despite the court’s directive, employees from the three news outlets reported being denied access to the White House grounds early Thursday. It remained unclear whether the denial stemmed from an administrative delay in complying with the order or technical credential issues.