A US federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after reporters from the three outlets were barred from the premises.
The three news organisations had filed a joint lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order, arguing that the ban violated their First Amendment rights to freedom of the press.
Trump has frequently clashed with media organisations that have published critical coverage of his campaigns and administrations, repeatedly describing the press as the “enemy of the people”.
The White House barred the three outlets on Friday, accusing them of publishing what Trump called “fake news” and “fiction and lies”.
In an eight-page ruling, Judge Timothy Kelly said the decision to revoke the reporters’ press credentials “likely violated their constitutional due process rights”.
“The ‘general rule’ is that ‘individuals must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them’ of a constitutionally protected interest,” Kelly wrote.
The judge ordered that the press credentials of employees of CNN, MS NOW and Politico be reinstated “until further Order of the Court or the expiration of this Temporary Restraining Order”. The order will remain in effect for 14 days and cannot be immediately appealed.
Ahead of the ruling, the Justice Department argued that Trump had the authority to “control reporters’ access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office”.
“Access to the White House is a privilege — not a right,” the department said.
‘National security’
The White House Press Office accused CNN of “trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information”. Similar accusations were made against MS NOW and Politico.
A letter to CNN cited several reports about the US-Iran war, as well as a story about Trump’s plans to build a military bunker beneath the planned East Wing ballroom. The White House alleged that the report disclosed “top-secret” construction details.
Theodore Boutrous, who represented the media organisations in court on Wednesday, told Kelly that Trump had not cited national security in his Truth Social post announcing the bans.
Boutrous argued that punishing journalists for reporting on national security matters “that the government would rather have not be reported on is just contrary to First Amendment principles”.
Kelly said the stories cited in the White House letters appeared to be “routine”.
“The Court is skeptical — at least on this record — that Defendants’ interest in safeguarding national security is the actual motivation for, or is even advanced by, the revocation of Plaintiffs’ hard passes,” Kelly wrote, referring to the White House press credentials.
Journalists from the three organisations were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday and had their passes confiscated.
Broadcaster solidarity
The ruling is the latest development in a long-running dispute between Trump and major US news organisations.
In a previous case involving CNN during Trump’s first term, Kelly — a Trump appointee — ordered the White House to temporarily restore access for a CNN reporter whose press pass had been revoked.
In a rare show of solidarity, the five major US television networks — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC — said Monday they were halting pool coverage of the White House. Under the pool system, one broadcaster provides footage for all participating television outlets.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the networks said.
The White House Correspondents’ Association and nearly 50 news organisations also filed a brief urging the court to reverse the bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
Trump appeared to suggest Tuesday that CNN should not cover him outside the White House either.
“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn’t be here,” Trump told a reporter at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The White House also launched a streaming channel, Trump TV, on Monday, saying it would provide “top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights streaming 24/7 and updated in real time”.
The dispute comes as Trump faces political challenges at home, including low approval ratings and the prospect of his Republican Party losing control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, while the conflict in the Middle East continues.
AFP
