Summary
- A US federal judge has ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to restore White House press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that the ban imposed on the outlets was likely unconstitutional.
- The administration had argued that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a legal entitlement and that the president has authority to suspend press access.
- He pointed to previous rulings from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit indicating that journalists are entitled to due process before their White House press passes are revoked.
A US federal judge has ordered the administration of President Donald Trump to restore White House press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that the ban imposed on the outlets was likely unconstitutional.
US District Judge Tim Kelly issued the order on Thursday after the three news organisations challenged the administration in federal court. The outlets had sued Trump and other officials after their White House press passes were revoked on September 18.
The judge directed the administration to immediately reinstate the journalists’ press credentials. He also blocked enforcement of the ban for 14 days while the legal dispute continues.
Kelly said the government had not provided sufficient evidence to show that removing the journalists’ access was necessary for national security. He noted that Trump’s own public statements had linked the decision to his criticism of the outlets’ reporting, including allegations that they were untruthful and overly negative.
The administration had argued that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a legal entitlement and that the president has authority to suspend press access. Justice Department lawyers also cited national security concerns in defending the decision.
However, Kelly questioned whether the targeted organisations had been given a meaningful opportunity to challenge the removal of their credentials. He pointed to previous rulings from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit indicating that journalists are entitled to due process before their White House press passes are revoked.
The news organisations argued that they were denied advance notice and an opportunity to contest the decision. Their lawyers described the move as an unprecedented and severe restriction on press access.
A coalition of press freedom organisations and several major news outlets also supported the case. In a legal brief, they argued that journalists should not lose access because of disagreements over their editorial views.
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