CNN, MS NOW, and Politico regain White House access after court order
Federal judge restores press credentials to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico after blocking access.
2 min read
A federal judge has ordered the White House to restore press credentials to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, temporarily reinstating their access to the presidential residence. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, came after a legal challenge filed by the news outlets against the Trump administration’s move to restrict their access. The ruling was granted as a temporary restraining order, which will remain in effect for two weeks while the broader legal issues are reviewed.
The emergency order was issued hours after an emergency hearing for the outlets’ lawsuit, which was filed on Monday. The legal challenge followed the administration’s decision to temporarily block access to the White House for the three news organizations, an action that occurred before the court ruling was finalized. The outlets reported that their journalists had their credentials temporarily revoked or access blocked in the early hours of Thursday, which led to the urgent legal action.
Judge Kelly, a Trump appointee, ruled that the administration had not provided adequate due process under the Fifth Amendment before revoking the press passes. He cited two D.C. Circuit precedents — Sherrill v. Knight in 1977 and Karem v. Trump in 2020 — which established that White House correspondents have a protected interest in obtaining and maintaining press access, and that such access cannot be revoked without due process or prior notice.
The Trump administration did not contest the claim that reporters were not given prior warning or an opportunity to be heard before their access was ended. Judge Kelly also found that there were no formal standards in place for the White House to deny access to bona fide Washington correspondents.
In his ruling, Kelly emphasized the importance of the free press in maintaining a connection between the government and the public, stating, “Plaintiffs — and the public — have an abiding interest in maintaining the status quo ante given the importance of the free press, which ‘stands as one of the great interpreters between the government and the people.'”
Source: OANN
