Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Attempt to Ban 3 Media Outlets

WASHINGTON — A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on liberal media outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds, ordering the administration early Thursday to immediately restore their access.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the outlets had met the legal requirements for a temporary restraining order, which will remain in effect for 14 days. He said they were likely to succeed in showing that their White House press passes were revoked without due process.

“This is a high bar, but Plaintiffs have met it,” Kelly wrote.

The ruling provides a temporary reprieve in a legal fight between the Trump administration and news organizations whose coverage has been widely criticized for dishonest and biased reporting against Republicans and in favor of Democrats.

Trump announced the ban Friday, Sept. 18, accusing the outlets of publishing what he called “fake news.” The administration also argued that some of their reporting posed national security risks.

The outlets sued, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment by targeting them based on the content of their coverage.

Kelly, who was nominated to the federal bench by Trump in 2017, said the administration must establish clear standards for conduct that could result in the loss of a press pass. He described the White House’s standard for objectionable reporting as too vague.

The ruling followed an emergency hearing Wednesday, Sept. 23. Temporary restraining orders generally are intended to preserve the status quo while a court considers a case further.

Theodore Boutrous Jr., an attorney for the outlets, argued they faced irreparable harm from losing access to the White House during major news events. 

Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik countered that access to the White House is a privilege and argued that the president has authority to take action to protect national security.