Court Rebukes White House Over CNN, Politico Credential Ban
US District Judge Timothy Kelly handed down a 14-day temporary restraining order early Thursday, clearing the way for the three news organizations to regain entry to the White House while litigation moves forward.
Kelly determined the outlets stood a strong chance of prevailing, at minimum on their claim that press credentials were stripped without due process. He noted the administration did not contest that the organizations received neither advance notice nor a chance to respond before their hard passes were pulled.
The judge also dismissed the White House's contention that national security justified excluding the outlets, instead pointing to President Trump's own stated rationale. When Trump announced the ban, Kelly noted, he cited what he called the outlets' inaccurate and negative coverage — not security concerns.
Trump unveiled the ban Friday, accusing the three organizations of repeatedly publishing what he called "FAKE NEWS." He warned that other media outlets could face similar consequences. The president later framed the move as a ban on the "free press," saying he did not want the outlets inside the White House. He further characterized the decision as rooted in years of negative coverage rather than any single report.
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico challenged the ban in court, arguing the administration retaliated against them over their reporting and that the policy risked pressuring other journalists into softening coverage for fear of facing the same treatment.
In his ruling, Kelly wrote that the First Amendment shields the press from government action taken purely because an official disagrees with the substance of its reporting.
Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, Trump had gone after Kelly directly, branding him "totally disloyal" in a social media post and signaling the administration would appeal if the ruling went against it.
The White House had not responded to a request for comment by the time of the judge's order.
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