Judge restores White House access for CNN, MS NOW, Politico — SkimNews
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- Judge Timothy Kelly ruled the White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico 'likely violated their constitutional due process rights,' ordering the administration to restore the outlets' access for 14 days while litigation continues.
- The judge cast doubt on national security claims, noting Trump made no mention of national security in his initial announcement and that 'the record lacks factual support' for the administration's contention that revoking hard passes would protect national security.
- Kelly dismantled the administration's specific objections, noting that 'in most cases' the stories the White House took issue with were written by journalists who 'did not even hold card passes,' and the government failed to show hard pass possession was integral to any flagged reporting.
- Despite the ruling, some reporters were still turned away on Thursday morning — CNN said some were denied while others were allowed in, MS NOW said a reporter was stopped, and a Politico reporter said they were turned away.
- Forty-nine media organizations — including CBS News, The New York Times, and Fox News — filed a legal brief supporting the outlets' lawsuit, and major US TV networks pulled out of White House pool duties on Monday in protest.
- The Trump administration had defended the ban by accusing the outlets of publishing false information and citing articles about White House construction, including work on a new ballroom, as justification for the access revocation.
Why it matters: The 14-day window is a temporary reprieve — the administration may pursue further legal action. The judge's reasoning dismantles the national security rationale: most flagged articles were written by non-credentialed reporters, and Trump never cited national security in his initial announcement. With 49 media organizations filing supportive briefs — including Fox News — this case tests whether the president can selectively bar outlets from the White House press pool.
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