A federal judge delivered a sharp setback to President Donald Trump on Thursday by ordering the White House to restore press access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. US District Judge Tim Kelly ruled that the ban on these three outlets was likely unconstitutional and violated core protections under the First Amendment and due process rights.
The order requires the administration to immediately return the outlets’ hard press passes. Officials are also barred from enforcing the ban for the next 14 days while the legal case continues. Kelly rejected the government’s claim that national security concerns justified the move. He noted that the record offered no solid evidence that restoring the passes would endanger security. Instead, the judge pointed out that Trump himself had publicly linked the ban to the outlets’ alleged lack of truthfulness and negative coverage.
Trump announced the restriction on September 18, stating on social media that the three outlets should not be allowed to constantly write or report what he called fiction and lies. Justice Department lawyers later tried to frame the decision around national security, but the court found that argument unconvincing. The news organizations filed their lawsuit on Monday in federal court in Washington, arguing the ban was an unprecedented and severe punishment imposed without proper notice or a chance to respond.
At a hearing on Wednesday, Kelly referenced two key precedents from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Those rulings make clear that journalists are entitled to due process before their White House press credentials can be taken away. A lawyer for the outlets told the court that the White House provided no meaningful opportunity to contest the decision. Government lawyers claimed letters sent after the ban and the lawsuit offered a sufficient explanation, but the judge expressed clear skepticism about that timing.
The legal fight comes just weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, adding political weight to the dispute. A broad coalition of press freedom groups and major news organizations, including Reuters, The Washington Post, and Fox News, filed a supporting brief. They argued that removing access based on perceived editorial viewpoint goes against decades of Supreme Court rulings protecting the free press.
This ruling marks an early and important victory for the media outlets in their challenge. The administration has not yet issued a public response, and further legal steps are expected as the case moves forward.
