A federal judge in the United States has ordered the Trump administration to restore press credentials to CNN, MSNBC and Politico. The ruling was made by US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who found that the three organisations were likely to establish that the White House had revoked their credentials without constitutionally adequate procedures. The judge also rejected the administration's attempt to justify the exclusions on national-security grounds.
The temporary restraining order prevents the White House from enforcing the ban for 14 days while Kelly considers whether longer-lasting relief should be granted. The ruling centred primarily on the Fifth Amendment requirement for due process rather than finally deciding the organisations' broader First Amendment claims. CNN, MSNBC and Politico argue that they were punished because President Donald Trump disapproved of their reporting, amounting to unconstitutional retaliation and viewpoint discrimination.
The dispute affected coverage as Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for high-level talks and a state dinner at the White House. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News had earlier joined CNN in suspending their participation in the rotating television pool in solidarity with the excluded organisations. It was not immediately clear whether all the networks would now resume normal pooled coverage.
Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing CNN, MSNBC and Politico of publishing "false" and "misleading" reports. Reporters from the three organisations were denied entry to the White House the following day, with their passes disabled or confiscated. The administration later adopted a different justification, citing reporting concerning US ammunition stocks and White House construction.
The three organisations filed their lawsuit on Monday, saying the government should not be allowed to determine what the press reports. More than 50 media organisations spanning the political spectrum supported their challenge through a friend-of-the-court brief. A similar confrontation occurred in 2018 when the Trump administration revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass.
Kelly, who also handled the Acosta case, ordered the credential temporarily restored because the White House had not provided adequate due process. There is also precedent for competing networks acting collectively. In 2009, broadcasters resisted an attempt by Barack Obama's administration to exclude Fox News from a pooled interview, prompting officials to reverse course.
Key points
- The Trump administration was ordered to restore press credentials to CNN, MSNBC and Politico after a federal judge ruled that the ban likely violated constitutional due-process protections.
- The judge rejected the administration's national-security justification for the ban, finding a lack of factual support.
- The ruling is a temporary restraining order, allowing the White House to reconsider the ban within 14 days.
