Journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico faced restricted access to White House events despite a federal court ruling requiring the Trump administration to restore their credentials following a ban imposed days earlier.
On Thursday evening, the White House allowed CNN to cover a state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping, but restricted coverage to a photojournalist and audio technician while excluding the network’s editorial staff. MS Now’s White House reporter was denied credentials for the event entirely. The restrictions came hours after a federal judge issued an overnight order requiring the administration to return press badges to the three organizations for a 14-day period.
The ban had been initiated after the president ordered the three outlets removed over what he characterized as “fake news” coverage. In their legal filings, Department of Justice attorneys argued the ban was necessary for national security reasons and cited examples of articles containing non-public information. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, however, found the revocation process likely violated constitutional due process protections. He noted that before revoking press credentials, the government must establish clear standards for conduct violations and provide journalists with notice and an opportunity to respond.
The judge stated that standards referenced in letters sent to the news organizations on Tuesday were “so vague” to be inadequate. He also expressed skepticism about whether national security concerns were the actual motivation, citing the president’s public statements indicating the ban was based on content. The judge ruled that even the defendants did not dispute that the organizations failed to receive notice and a hearing before their passes were initially revoked.
A preliminary injunction hearing was scheduled to be expedited during the 14-day period when credentials are to be restored. In a sworn statement, the White House director of press operations said badges began being reinstated starting at 7:25 a.m. Thursday, with Secret Service reactivating passes by 9:07 a.m.
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