Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico regained entry to the White House Thursday after some were turned away hours after a judge ordered access restored for 14 days. The administration said confiscated press passes had been returned.
Judge Timothy Kelly said the outlets were likely to succeed in showing their press passes had been revoked without due process. After their access was restored, he denied their request for an emergency hearing and gave them until Monday to seek a preliminary injunction that could block the ban while the case proceeds.
President Trump announced the ban on Sept. 18, accusing the outlets of reporting “fiction or lies.” The three organizations sued, alleging retaliation over coverage he disliked violated their First Amendment rights. The administration argued that White House access is a privilege and accused the outlets of violating its professionalism standards, citing alleged falsehoods and publication of sensitive or classified information.
