WASHINGTON — A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on three news organizations from the White House, ordering access restored while the case proceeds. The ruling affects CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which were removed from White House grounds after Trump announced the ban on Sept. 18.
The outlets argued the move amounted to viewpoint discrimination because it targeted coverage they said was critical of the president, violating the First Amendment. Trump had accused the organizations of spreading “fake news” and said negative reporting posed a danger to the country.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, did not rule immediately after a Wednesday hearing but issued a 14-day temporary restraining order on Thursday. A temporary restraining order is typically used to maintain the status quo while a court reviews the case more closely.
The order allows the three outlets to resume White House coverage for the next two weeks while the court considers the underlying legal dispute. Kelly also handled a similar case in 2018, when he ordered CNN’s White House access restored.
