White House Must Restore Access to CNN, MS NOW, Politico
Blocking the Trump administration's controversial press ban, a federal judge rules that revoking credentials likely violated constitutional due process.
Washington DC: A US federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately reinstate White House press access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The ruling halts a controversial ban that had barred reporters from the presidential premises.
President Donald Trump had barred the three outlets as punishment for what he branded ‘Fake news,’ citing stories on national security and other critical issues.
In response, the organisations filed a joint lawsuit arguing that the ban violated First Amendment protections for a free press.
Judge Timothy Kelly issued an eight-page ruling stating that the sudden revocation of hard press passes likely violated constitutional due process rights.
Consequently, the court issued a 14-day temporary restraining order requiring credentials to be reinstated while the legal battle continues.
Legal counsel praised the swift judicial action as a strong defense of the rule of law and democratic accountability.
Major television broadcasters and nearly 50 press associations also rallied in solidarity, temporarily halting pool coverage to protest the administration's unprecedented restrictions.
The White House defended its actions by claiming that access is a privilege rather than a right and accused the outlets of publishing sensitive information.
However, the court remained skeptical that safeguarding national security was the actual motivation behind the ban.
